Farmer fined over TB testing and movement breaches

A farmer has been ordered to pay more than £10,000 after he was prosecuted for breaches of cattle movement and tuberculosis (TB) testing regulations.

Leicestershire County Council officers said between 27 January and 12 May 2025, John Hawley had notified authorities late or not at all of about 85% of the 279 cattle moved off his farm, and 79% of the 97 cattle moved on to it.

Failure to complete a whole-herd TB test resulted in a movement restriction in early 2025, which Hawley defied, taking cattle both on and off the farm, officers said.

At Leicester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, he admitted three breaches of regulations and was ordered to pay a total of £10,899.

Hawley, who ran Leicestershire Livestock from Six Hills Farm in Melton Mowbray, and had farmed for more than 50 years before his retirement, was fined a total of £3,999 for the three offences, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £1,600 and prosecution costs of £5,300.

Gary Connors, head of regulatory services at the county council, said: "The combination of cattle traceability and rigorous TB testing is absolutely vital in protecting both the food chain and the wider agricultural sector.

"These rules exist to keep people safe, to prevent the spread of disease and to ensure full confidence in the meat supply chain.

"When individuals choose to ignore repeated advice, warnings and legal notices, they put animal health, public health and the rural economy at risk. We will always take firm action against this type of offending."

When interviewed, officers said, Hawley blamed an injury, administrative delays and paperwork difficulties for his failure to comply with the law, and stated he sent between 3,000 and 4,000 cattle to slaughter each year.

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