Pigs beaten with iron bar on Norfolk free range farm

The "incredibly distressing" video was captured during eight days of covert filming on Harford Farm at Caistor St Edmunds, south of Norwich, in June 2022.

It is due to feature in a documentary named Pignorant, produced by vegan animal activist Joey Carbstrong, which is due to be released in the next few weeks.

The film shows two workers, one male and one female, making separate attacks on pigs with a thin iron bar.

Pigs were filmed being hit with a metal bar by workers at Harford Farm at Caistor St Edmunds (Image: Pignorant / Joey Carbstrong)

The first lasts 23 seconds before the paralysed pig is left "alive and twitching for nearly two minutes" until the attack continues again, and the animal is left for dead - eventually stopping moving more than five minutes after the start of the attack, said Mr Carbstrong.

He claims the footage also shows other animals were sick or paralysed, but left untreated.

Norfolk Free Range, which ran the livestock operation, said both workers were dismissed as soon as the company was made aware of the video in October.

"We have been disgusted and distressed by the actions of our employees depicted in the footage; it is not acceptable and not representative of the way in which we look after our animals," said the company.

"As soon as we were made aware the individuals involved were instantly dismissed.

"We are compliant with all recent farm inspections but are of course cooperating fully with the investigation being conducted by RSPCA Assured and will be implementing a full review of our business to ensure this does not happen again in future."

Although Harford Farm was not RSPCA Assured at the time of the filming, it subsequently gained the high-welfare certification after a later assessment.

Its membership was suspended during an RSPCA investigation, but has since been reinstated.

An RSPCA Assured spokesman said: “This footage is incredibly distressing and we are deeply upset by it.

"The behaviour shown falls significantly below the high standards we demand of our members. It is completely unacceptable for any animal to be treated in this way. 

“As soon as we were shown the footage we reported it to the Animal and Plant Health Agency - an official government body that is fully equipped and resourced to investigate and take action.

"We also immediately suspended their membership pending investigation. 

“Following a thorough investigation by specially-trained assessors, which included multiple visits to Harford Farm, we have now lifted the farm’s suspension. Harford has undergone a change in ownership since the footage was taken and we can confirm that the employees shown in the footage no longer work on the farm."

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The National Pig Association (NPA), which represents the pig farming sector, said: "The behaviour depicted in the footage is wholly unacceptable and cannot be condoned in any way.

"It is also not representative of the care pig farmers provide to their animals across the country on a daily basis."

NPA chief executive Lizzie Wilson added that she was frustrated the footage took so long to be reported to authorities.

"Despite the activist witnessing / being aware of the abhorrent behaviour of the two individuals since June 2022, they evidently did not alert the relevant authorities and therefore those individuals have been permitted to continue to work with the pigs for all that time," she said.

"In contrast, as soon as the business was made aware, the staff were instantly dismissed."

At the time of the filming, the farm was supplying food giant Pilgrim’s, but it is now part of the supply chain to major meat processor Cranswick.

A Cranswick spokesperson said: "‘Animal welfare is of the utmost importance to us and we were shocked by the footage filmed at Harford Farm.

"This incident took place before Cranswick were associated with the farm. As soon as we saw the footage, the staff involved were dismissed."