A man has been questioned by police on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to animals after about 1,600 pigs were found dead on a farm in Leeds.

Officers made the discovery on 12 November at Two Hoots farm, in Harewood, after receiving a call raising concerns for a man at the property.

About 1,600 pigs are thought to have starved to death. Other pigs were found alive, and some are believed to have been eating the dead animals.

Three businesses are registered to the farm including a Yorkshire Hog Roast Company, which says it specialises in catering and event organising for private functions and has “provided delicious food to thousands of customers since 2001”.

A 52-year-old man was arrested and later bailed pending further inquiries. West Yorkshire police liaised with Leeds city council environmental health, which has taken over the investigation, and the RSPCA.

Rachael Procter, a Conservative councillor for the Harewood ward, said: “It’s such an important story. For 1,600 pigs to be starved to death over a six-week period, it’s unthinkable in this day and age.

“It’s common knowledge in the village of East Keswick and Harewood and people have been very shocked that this could happen and they have questioned why. It’s such a huge number: that is the fact that is really shocking everybody.”

She said residents had complained about foul odours spreading as far as five miles away, in an area that contains a number of farms.



Other animals on the farm, including cattle, turkeys and sheep, were found to be in an acceptable state.

The farm estate spanning 43 acres is situated on the green belt and in a special landscape area (designated by councils to protect areas from development). Tom’s Turkeys, which supplies free-range and corn-fed turkeys to butchers and direct to customers also operates out of the farm, as does Yorkshire Farm Foods, which supplies beef, pork and lamb.

A Leeds city council spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that we’re carrying out an investigation into an animal welfare incident in the Harewood area. Our environmental health officers are working with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the police, and as the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further at this time.”

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “The RSPCA was called by West Yorkshire police about a large number of dead pigs at a farm in Harewood, Leeds on Thursday 12 November 2015.

“We liaised with them and the relevant trading standards department, who, as is RSPCA policy on investigations involving farm animals on commercial premises, were invited to, and have, taken over the investigation.”

The Guardian has attempted to contact the companies based at the farm for comment.