A Melton Mowbray farmer has been ordered to pay a total of £10,899 after admitting multiple breaches of cattle movement and tuberculosis (TB) testing regulations.
John Andrew Hawley, who runs Leicestershire Livestock from Six Hills Farm, appeared at Leicester Magistrates Court on Wednesday 4 February. He pleaded guilty to three offences under the Cattle Identification Regulations 2007 and the Tuberculosis in Animals (England) Order 2021, relating to the movement of livestock and TB testing.
Picture credit: Pukaar News
He was fined £3,999, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £1,600, and prosecution costs of £5,300.
Court documents revealed that Hawley, a farmer with more than 50 years’ experience who has recently retired, repeatedly failed to meet legal requirements intended to protect animal health and prevent the spread of disease. His farm specialises in buying cattle from across the UK, fattening them, and sending them to slaughter.
The case arose following concerns from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). In May 2024, the APHA warned Leicestershire Trading Standards that it intended to revoke Hawley’s licence after inspections found breaches of licence conditions and cattle identification regulations. Subsequent monitoring by Trading Standards revealed systematic non?compliance.
Between 27 January and 12 May 2025, officers found that Hawley had failed to notify the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) of about 85% of the 279 cattle moved off his farm, and 79% of the 97 cattle moved onto it. In one instance, 55 cattle sent to slaughter between 7 and 25 April 2025 entered the food chain without any notification.
Hawley also breached TB regulations. In October 2024, the APHA required a whole?herd TB test to be completed by February 2025. Hawley did not comply, resulting in the farm losing its TB?free status and facing movement restrictions. Despite this, 100 cattle were moved on and off the farm before the restriction was lifted. When a TB test was later attempted, seven cattle could not be accounted for, and BCMS records showed their deaths had not been reported within the required timeframe.
Hawley told authorities that injuries, administrative delays, and paperwork issues contributed to the breaches, noting that his farm sends between 3,000 and 4,000 cattle to slaughter each year.
Leicestershire County Council has emphasised that strict adherence to cattle traceability and TB testing regulations is essential to protect animal health, public health, and the wider agricultural sector.
