Powys farmer fined for breaching animal health rules

He failed to attend the initial court hearing on Tuesday, June 24, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest. The case was brought by Powys County Council’s Animal Health Team.

The charges included failing to complete TB testing of his herd by October 22 2023, obstructing a person in the execution of the Cattle Identification Regulations, and failing to provide records or to permit an inspection of cattle kept on the premises.

Meikle also admitted charges of failing to produce sheep and goat registers when instructed to do so by an authorised inspector, failing to produce pig registers when instructed by an authorised inspector, obstructing Jenni Hughes-Ellis, a person authorised under the regulation of the Animal By-Products Regulations and failing to produce animal by-product records when required to do so by Jenni Hughes-Ellis.

Powys County Council solicitor Reshmi Mukherjee said Meikle had persistently failed to comply with legal requirements, including refusing access to his premises on multiple occasions and failing to register cattle with the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS).

Despite claiming that no cattle remained on site, subsequent investigations revealed otherwise, with some animals only registered after legal proceedings had commenced.

The court also heard that TB testing, which should have been completed in 2023, was only carried out in April and June 2025 following enforcement action.

Ms Mukherjee said; “All of the cattle have now been tested and are TB free. It was a deliberate attempt by the defendant to mislead the competent authorities that no cattle remained on the site.”

She said he was given notice of an intended inspection and he was not present and had blocked all access gates.

She said there had been a serious risk of undiagnosed disease which would have posed a threat to neighbouring farms, and a risk to the food supply chain.

Ms Mukherjee said he had ‘adopted an ‘anti-authority’ stance that the laws do not apply to him without his consent’.

Representing himself, Meikle said; “My animals never leave my smallholding, I believed I could de-register them and keep them as private animals.

“I looked into TB and the current thinking is that it is not spread by vectors so my understanding was that transmission to neighbouring farms was not a risk.

“We butcher the animals, slaughter the and eat them.

“I am back on track now, they are all TB tested, registered and I am compliant. I am sorry.”

Meikle expressed his sincere regrets and pleaded guilty.

“I understand to ensure disease control and now I fully accept my responsibilities.

“I was under the mistaken belief that the rules did not apply to me. I have taken certain steps and I am now keeping proper records.

“I regret how I handled the situation, this has been a wake-up call for me, I have learned from this experience and will comply going forward.”

Meikle said his family of six runs a market garden and tourism activity and lives on about £15,000 a year.

Meikle was fined £2,122 for the six offences and ordered to pay £500 in costs and a victim surcharge of £844 – a total of £3,466, payable within 28 days.

Councillor Richard Church, Cabinet Member for Legal and Regulatory Services, said: “This case highlights the importance of compliance with animal health legislation.

“The defendant’s actions not only endangered animal welfare but also posed a significant risk to public health and the integrity of the food chain.

“Our Animal Health Team rightly took the offences seriously and acted, resulting in this successful prosecution. If we come across similar cases in the future, we will prosecute.”