A FAMILY filmed hacking up animal carcasses in their back yard are being investigated in a hygiene probe.

Neighbours alerted environmental health officials after the raw meat was chopped up on a tarpaulin.

3 A family have been filmed hacking up animal carcasses in their back yard in Dagenham

3 The footage sparked a hygiene probe from the local council but a woman at the property denied any wrongdoing

It is not known if the family — celebrating Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice — slaughtered the animals at home or were simply butchering them.

Julia McClenaghan, 62, whose flat overlooks the yard in Dagenham, Essex, said: “It seems one of the least hygienic places to prepare meat, and they were using an old rag to wipe their tools.”

A woman living at the property confirmed yesterday they had been butchering for Eid but denied any wrongdoing.

Sun columnist Anila Baig said Muslim families traditionally sacrifice a goat or sheep and divide it into portions for Eid al-Adha.

But she added: “In this day and age, it’s extremely unusual for someone to do this themselves at home.

3 Sun columnist Anila Baig said Muslim families traditionally sacrifice a goat or sheep for Eid but it is extremely unusual to do this at home Credit: Jason Shillingford

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Usually it’s done for them by a butcher.”

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, insisted the family had done nothing wrong in practising their religion.

Barking and Dagenham Council said it was investigating.

The Law on Raw Meat IT is an offence to supply meat to someone else if it has not been slaughtered in a licensed abattoir. Killing animals at home is lawful if the meat is only going to be eaten among immediate family. But unless a gun is used to kill pigs, sheep, goats, deer or cattle, they must be stunned before slaughter. It is illegal to cause any avoidable pain or suffering during the slaughter process. Religious slaughter is only permitted in approved slaughterhouses.