THE owner of a farm which had fallen into a state of disrepair has been ordered to pay thousands of pounds in fines after faeces and vermin were found in the grain stores used to feed his dairy herd.

Dead cattle carcasses were also found strewn around Westby Hall Farm in Gisburn, with calves seen wandering about in slurry which had overflowed from a nearby lagoon.

Farmer Robert Townson had been given ample warning and opportunity to address concerns raised by trading standards officers during several visits to his premises but failed to act, resulting in criminal proceedings.

Burnley Magistrates Court heard how regular inspections had been carried out at the farm in 2019, where a catalogue of concerns was raised.

Opening the case, Lancashire County Council legal officer Nick McNamara said: “In September 2019 an officer carried out a full feed hygiene inspection at the farm. On this occasion, dry-feed, which if not stored in dry conditions can spoil and become contaminated, was being stored in the open exposed to the elements.

"The feed, which had been delivered to the farm three days earlier, had been partly tipped from a tractor and left. The officer could see that the pile was contaminated with cattle faeces and that there was evidence of burrowing pest activity.”

It was heard how contaminated feed ingested by dairy cattle can quickly result in milk hygiene issues with some toxins able to survive the pasteurisation process.

In the main dairy herd shed, where a number of calves were housed, Mr Townson was shown how the feeding troughs were heavily corroded and collapsed so that feed dropped through onto faeces on the ground. Sharp, rusted edges also caused a concern for animal welfare.

Back outside, the slurry lagoon was found overflowing.

On this occasion the officer informed Mr Townson that he was being given one last chance to put things right and that, if things did not start to improve immediately, the next step would be a written feed hygiene improvement notice.

In October officers attended the farm again to find little had changed by way of improving the conditions.

Mr McNamara said: “Feed was still being stored amid the unsanitary conditions in the feed building. Geese were seen accessing the feed and, despite the need to keep the feed dry, standing water was pooled right up to the feed pile. Mould was visible around the edge of the pile and poultry and cattle faeces was seen in the pile itself. The officer even saw a rodent run out of the pile and out through a hole in the wall.

“The slurry lagoon had still not been emptied and, by this time, was so overflowing that the officer did not consider it safe to walk any further. He did however see cattle roaming freely thorough the slurry. At the edge of flooded area decomposing cattle carcasses presented a clear risk of contaminating the stored silage at the other side.”

Notices were served on October 14, one concerning the steps to be taken to ensure the hygienic storage of dry feed, while the other specified the measures needed to make the feeding troughs clean and safe, In November, after the expiry of the improvement notices, officers went back to the farm to determine what progress had been made.

With the exception of the reducing the level of the slurry lagoon and improvements to the condition of the silage clamp, no improvements had been carried out.

Mr McNamara said: “Robert Townson was interviewed. Blaming his failing health, Mr Townson admitted that things had got away from him and that he had been slow to react to the deteriorating conditions and to what officers were telling him.

“He said that he had since reduced his livestock by half with a view to disposing of his entire dairy herd by October 2021.”

In mitigation Simon Catterall, solicitor, told the Bench that Mr Townson had been suffering from fatigue which had gone on to be diagnosed as bowel cancer.

His client had since had a successful operation and is now making a good recovery.

A total financial penalty of £3,252 was imposed, including fine, costs and surcharge.