Three Shropshire farmers banned from keeping animals and fined after cruelty case brought by animal rights group - watch the shocking footage

The case at Kidderminster Magistrates Court on Thursday, follows a previous hearing in 2023, where owner of Oakland Farms – where the mistreatment of dairy calves took place, Derek Whittall, was prosecuted.

Whittall, who is also father of one of the defendants from Thursday, was banned from keeping cattle for five years in April last year, after admitting offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and The Cattle Identification Regulations 2007.

He received an 18-month community, ordered to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay the prosecution costs of £11,855, and was disqualified for a period of five years, from owning or keeping bovine animals.

Following that hearing, dairy giant Müller, whose headquarters are located nearby in Market Drayton and who had business with the farm, released a statement saying that it had instructed farmers to cease supplying the centre with immediate effect.

Now in a private prosecution brought by Animal Justice Project, who obtained undercover footage of Oaklands Farms, three men who were captured abusing the dairy calves have been brought before the courts.

Joshua Whittall of Oaklands Farm in Prees, Kevin Arden of Chester Road Malpas, and 57-year-old John Challinor from Shropshire all pleaded guilty under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal ahead of a hearing at Kidderminster Magistrates on Thursday.

Each was fined £595, ordered to complete 160 hours of unpaid work over the next 12 months, and required to pay a £95 victim surcharge and £500 towards costs.

They were also disqualified from keeping farmed animals for life, with the option to apply for the ban to be amended after five years.

The footage obtained by the animal rights group in April 2021, showed animals being thrown down trailer ramps; kicked; pushed; dragged by their ears – and the charity said, being deprived of food and water for long periods.

Animal Justice Project worked alongside lawyers from Advocates for Animals and barrister Ayesha Smart to bring the case.

The convictions follow an extensive undercover investigation by Animal Justice Project at Oaklands Livestock Centre in Shropshire. Over a five-month period from November 2020 to March 2021, investigators documented mistreatment of 'surplus' male dairy calves—animals deemed economically unviable by the dairy industry.

"This case demonstrates that those who exploit and abuse vulnerable animals will be held accountable," said Claire Palmer, Director of Animal Justice Project. "The cruelty we exposed is not an isolated incident but part of a broken system that treats animals as disposable commodities. We will continue to fight until justice is served for all farmed animals.

"The law that protects farmed animals is tragically often left unenforced by the public bodies responsible. This case is a testament to the impact that animal charities can have using private prosecutions to deliver justice for animals," said Edie Bowles, Director of Advocates for Animals.  “The suffering these calves endured was unacceptable, and we are proud to have worked with Animal Justice Project to hold those responsible accountable."