Fined for animal moves
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by Grant Prior • Livestock haulier Roger Mills of Live Sheep Traders was personally fined more than The case was brought by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food after a long-running investigation in conjunction with the RSPCA. Mills was found guilty on 42 counts under the Animal Health Act 1991 at Dover Magistrates Court. He made false declarations to obtain an export licence and drivers working for him failed to comply with agreed overnight stops at an animal resting centre near Paris. Mills is appealing against the verdict. He says: "I don't run any trucks and rely on other hauliers. I am just an exporter and other people handle the haulage, I'm being penalised for their actions." He has been under the spotlight since 1991 when undercover RSPCA inspectors followed one of his loads on a 44-hour journey in which time the sheep on board were not fed or watered. RSPCA assistant chief veterinary officer Alastair Mews says this case underlines the need for an eight-hour maximum limit on journeys to slaughterhouses. Two million live lambs a year are exported for the Continental meat industry.