Yorkshire poultry farmer to pay out £28,000 after bird flu offences

An East Yorkshire poultry farmer has been ordered to pay out £28,000 after pleading guilty to four offences relating to an outbreak of bird flu.

Daniel Mathison, a partner at Mathison (Farmers) Leven, commercially rears and slaughters birds at Southfield Farm in Leven, near Beverley.

He appeared at Beverley Magistrates Court in relation to offences surrounding a bird flu outbreak on his premises and to operating a slaughterhouse without Food Standards Agency (FSA) approval.

The 49-year-old was fined £4,000 per offence, and ordered to pay an additional £6,000 towards costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge, totalling £28,000 to be paid within 12 months.