Carmarthen farmer broke TB restrictions by moving cattle

A Carmarthen farmer has been prosecuted for moving cattle while his farm was under TB restrictions.
David Grant Hartman pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court on Friday to four offences under the TB (Wales) Order 2010 in a prosecution brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.
The court was told that Mr Hartman’s farm, Trebersed Farm at Travellers Rest, was put under TB restrictions which are supposed to prevent the movement of cattle onto or off a farm. These restrictions are put in place to reduce the potential of the spread of TB and to reduce existing breakdowns.
Despite these restrictions the defendant moved dairy cows onto his farm on three separate occasions. The investigation also discovered that cows declared as inconclusive reactors, animals that tests had neither confirmed to have TB nor shown to be free of TB, which must be isolated from the rest of the herd, had not been isolated as required.
Mr Hartman said that he had been under financial pressures and had brought animals onto the farm in order to keep up his milk yields.
He was given a conditional discharge for 18 months, ordered to pay the authority’s costs of £2,000 and a victim surcharge of £15.
Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for environmental and public protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “Carmarthenshire County Council views any infringements of TB legislation as serious offences.
“Any alleged incidents will be investigated with a view to potential legal proceedings. We will not hesitate to take action.”