Press Enquiries
Undercover investigation reveals widespread abuse at award-winning M&S dairy farm
Key findings:
Over 700 incidents of physical and verbal abuse were filmed over three days at an award-winning dairy farm supplying M&S and Muller, certified by RSPCA Assured at the time of filming.
Workers were filmed saying: "We've got an M&S inspection today... This could really look bad."
Footage shows workers adding extra straw to pens and removing a dead calf just three hours before the inspector arrived.
The inspector spent just 10 minutes in the calf shed without entering any pens or examining any calves.
Abuse resumed less than one minute after the inspector left.
The first time an inspection at an RSPCA Assured farm has been captured on camera.
The farm is co-owned by Mike King, a senior figure in the UK dairy industry sitting on the boards of AHDB and M&S Dairy Farmers, and a Farmers Weekly Farmer of the Year finalist.
This is not an isolated incident — over 170 investigations by 17 animal protection organisations have found the same systemic failures across RSPCA Assured farms and slaughterhouses.
A coalition of 15 animal protection organisations are calling on the RSPCA to stop certifying factory farming.