CCTV in slaughter houses

Our investigation into slaughterhouses found animals being kicked, slapped, stamped on, picked up by their fleeces and ears and thrown into stunning pens. We recorded animals being improperly stunned and having their throats cut while fully conscious; animals being deliberately and illegally beaten; pigs burned with cigarettes; and workers hacking at the throats of conscious sheep.

These findings are the result of secret filming in a wide range of slaughterhouses, from stun to non-stun, and, importantly, so-called ‘higher welfare’ premises such as those accredited by the Soil Association and RSPCA Assured.

Even when no laws were broken, animals were terrified and stressed.

First and foremost, countless people have been moved to adopt an animal-free diet after watching our investigations, but there have also been legislative and legal wins.

Mandatory CCTV comes into force across England, Wales and Scotland

Following years of undercover work and lobbying the government, legislation came into force in England (2018), Scotland (2021) and Wales (2024) making it mandatory for slaughterhouses to have CCTV. With the support of over 140 MPs and more than half of all Welsh Assembly members, this means greater accountability for those inflicting harm and greater awareness among the public, who can no longer claim ignorance.

Charges brought against those abusing animals

As a result of our undercover filming, two men were jailed at Cheale Meats for beating pigs and burning them with cigarettes. Essex slaughterhouse A&G Barber closed down when the public saw just how bad its conditions were, and many slaughterhouse workers had their licenses permanently revoked. We also successfully called for the time limit on animal welfare prosecutions to be extended to allow time for justice to be done.

Between 2009 and 2019, we filmed undercover in 16 slaughterhouses across the UK, including non-stun facilities, where the animal suffering we witnessed was deeply disturbing.

Of those 16 slaughterhouses, the majority were facilities that attempt to stun animals prior to slaughter, and yet we still found shocking cases of animal suffering, including deliberate abuse and – worryingly – animals being improperly stunned. We are unconvinced that electric tongs used in mainstream – ‘humane’ – methods of slaughter, even when used properly, render an animal ‘instantly insensible’, as claimed. Rather, they might simply deliver an agonising, immobilising electric shock.

Jewish and Muslim religious authorities assert that death by shechita or halal methods without pre-stunning is instantaneous and painless. A body of evidence has demonstrated that this is not credible, and our own investigative footage has removed any doubt, demonstrating violence and contempt towards animals, and killing done not with a single, clean cut but by hacking at their throats with a blunt knife. Many consumers of halal and shechita products do not realise this, instead believing what they are told by the authorities – in much the same way that mainstream methods of slaughter also harm animals and mislead consumers.

That’s why our position is that compassionate people, whatever their religious beliefs, will be appalled by any and all exploitation and harm of animals. Attacks on halal and shechita ‘ritual’ slaughter methods by people who refuse to speak out against ‘humane’ slaughter are rooted in bigotry and hypocrisy. Whatever method is used to kill animals, there is no mercy in a slaughterhouse and no animal goes willingly.