Investigation launched after dead calves are dumped by the roadside at Yaxham beauty spot (WARNING: you may find one of the images upsetting)

Three calves were dumped in a ditch on Pinn's Lane near Pinn's Corner in Dereham. Picture: Ian Burt (Image: Archant 2017)

The gruesome discovery was made on Monday by a member of the public on Pinn's Lane, near Pinn's Corner, a popular beauty spot in Yaxham, near Dereham.

Two black and white calves and one brown calf were found lying in a mangled heap in the ditch.

Three dead calves were found dumped by the roadside in Yaxham. Picture: submitted (Image: anonymous)

Police and Breckland Council's environmental health team were notified but the matter was passed to Norfolk County Council's trading standards.

A spokesman said: 'We can confirm that our Trading Standards officers responded to reports of dead livestock abandoned by the roadside and arranged for their removal. As we are continuing to look into this incident we won't comment any further.'

One resident said the corpses were 'smelling and attracting flies' and branded their disposal in the ditch as 'irresponsible and antisocial'.

Defra regulations

Defra regulations state that if livestock dies, it must be collected, identified and transported from the premises as soon as is reasonably practical.

It states: 'You must not burn or bury fallen stock on your farm, and you must not feed fallen stock to red kites or necrophagous birds (birds that feed on carcases).

'You must arrange for the animal to collected by an approved transporter and taken for disposal to one of the following: knacker, hunt kennel, maggot farm, incinerator, renderer.

'This also applies to stillborn animals and afterbirth.

'While waiting for your fallen stock to be collected, you must ensure that animals and birds can't access the carcase.

'Bins can be used a temporary store for fallen stock, especially during times of high mortality. The bins must be kept clean and disinfected, and they must have lids and be leakproof.'