Last updated at 15:29, Saturday, 20 October 2012

The director of a livestock company has appeared at Carlisle Crown Court on a string of charges over moving animals without telling the authorities.

David Holmes, 52, director of D and A Holmes Livestock Limited, is accused of 30 offences, including moving animals at a farm at Roadhead, north of Longtown, on September 2, 2010, without telling the authorities within three days.

He is also accused of other animal movement offences relating to a farm at Alnwick, of not notifying the authorities of an animal’s death and of using an ear tag belonging to one animal on another.

He was not asked to enter pleas to any of the charges at yesterday’s brief hearing, though his barrister said he would be denying them all.

Holmes will go on trial on January 21 in a case that is expected to last six days.

First published at 15:15, Saturday, 20 October 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk