THREE Webheath farmers have been banned from keeping animals for life and fined a total of £50,000.

Redditch magistrates found brothers David and Stephen and dad Harold Lionel Tongue, known as Lionel, of Crumpfield Farm, guilty of four offences which involved causing unnecessary suffering to a sow and steer between January 31 and February 9, 2001.

At Thursday's hearing, chairman Don Harris said Lionel Tongue wanted his 16-year-old pet pig, described by county Trading Standards, prosecuting, as being in 'living torment,' to live long enough to gain entry into the Guinness Book of Records, but, after ending its life, shot it a second time out of anger.

John Sampson, defending, said the animal had lesions on its side, showed signs of being unable to get up in the last three days of its life and, according to a vet, its skin was hanging loose, but this 'may have been part of the ageing process'.

He said Stephen and David felt the sow should have been put down earlier but it was their father's pig "and he wanted it to live a long and happy life.

Mr Sampson added: 'This is an animal which had a full and unrestricted life, a free range animal with a pen and access to yards and fields. It had almost all its life enjoyed a much more benevolent and happy life.'

Mr Harris said: 'The sow had been suffering for several days. My opinion is that the shot put into the pig after it had died was one of anger.'

Mr Sampson described the two-and-a-half-year-old steer as 'a very old age by cattle industry standards.'

He said the steer had a sprain but had lived with it 'for a considerable time' with no adverse effects.

He added: 'It was felt necessary to bring the animal indoors. One suggestion was because of the inclement weather.

'It was brought into a cow shed the Sunday evening before February 7.

'The animal was 'down,' as they say, in a small pen with straw and the floor was relatively slippy.'

Mr Harris said the steer's injury occurred the previous summer and other than a telephone call to the vet, no action was taken until February 7 when a vet visited and treated its badly swollen leg.

Mr Harris added: 'The defendants failed to follow up treatment as instructed and further suffering was caused as a result.'

David Tongue, who was dressed scruffily in a torn jacket and wellington boots, said: 'Neither animal was owned by me and I am adamant I hadn't the right to enter another farmer's land, buildings or property and destroy their animals.

'There was no problem with the bull's welfare. I asked the vet if there was a welfare problem and she said no.

'If there had been I would have wanted the bull put down there and then. It was decided he should be given the chance to live and get well.'

Mr Harris said the defendants were aware of the animals' condition and their suffering was unnecessary because veterinary care was not called for in time.

He added: 'The offences are so serious we were considering a custodial sentence, certainly regarding Harold and David, this being their third similar offence.

'For anyone to commit this type of offence so soon after being found guilty previously is not to be tolerated.'

Mr Harris disqualified the Tongues from keeping any animal for life, fined Harold and David the maximum penalty, £5,000, for each of the four offences and Stephen £2,500 for each offence.

They were also each ordered to pay £2,121 costs.

Mr Harris suspended disqualification until January 31 for the Tongues to dispose of any existing livestock.

He added: 'But from that day onwards you are forbidden to keep any animal, not just livestock.'

The Tongues' sentence was suspended pending an appeal to the crown court.

Trading Standards operations manager Steve Birch said after the case: 'This was a very serious matter as was reflected by the level of penalty imposed by the magistrates and their decision to issue a life ban from keeping animals on all three defendants.

'As an appeal has been made the sentence and banning order will now be suspended until the appeal is heard.

'I am pleased to say most farmers are very conscientious about the welfare of their livestock.

'When we get complaints of animal cruelty our inspectors, with the support of DEFRA vets will investigate any such allegations.'