One of the largest halal slaughterhouses in Britain is being investigated over allegations of animal cruelty.

Undercover filming claims to show a slaughterman repeatedly sawing at the necks of sheep with a knife as they pass down a conveyor belt.

The animals appear not to have been killed instantly – as should be the case – and some were seen fitting and jumping as they went down the line.

A halal slaughterhouse investigated over allegations animal cruelty. Undercover filming claims to show a slaughterman repeatedly sawing at the necks of sheep with a knife

In the footage the animals appear not to have been killed instantly – as should be the case – and some were seen fitting and jumping as they went down the line in distress

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has now launched an inquiry based on the footage. It has taken steps to ban the slaughterman involved and could bring a criminal prosecution.

In theory, halal slaughter is designed to meet the religious requirements of the Islamic faith, which forbids the stunning of animals prior to having their throats cut.

Many restaurants such as Pizza Express, KFC and Subway now sell halal meat – mainly chicken – without making it clear on menus. Hundreds of schools have also switched to halal and all the major supermarkets sell New Zealand lamb killed according to halal ritual without declaring it on labels.

The slaughterhouse at Dunnockshaw Farm, near Burnley, is owned by the Malik Food Group, which claims to be ‘the UK’s leading processor of Premium Halal Mutton, Lamb and Beef’.

The company website boasts: ‘Our meat is eaten by millions of consumers every year, and is stocked through the UK by leading retailers.’

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has now launched an inquiry based on the footage. It has taken steps to ban the slaughterman involved and could bring a criminal prosecution

One of the firm’s two directors, Stephen Riley, was prosecuted last year over the cruel treatment of a cow at the abattoir.

Conventional slaughterhouses stun animals with a bolt gun or electric shock to render them unconscious while they are killed.

Method used to kill 100million in the UK More than 100million animals are killed in the UK every year using the halal method. Most are chickens, but the total is thought to include more than six million sheep. A further 2.1million animals are killed under the Jewish shechita method, which is required for kosher certification. The UK halal trade is worth £2.6billion and there is a growing export market, particularly in the Middle East. Halal is Arabic for ‘permissible’ and refers to food that meets Islamic law as defined in the Koran. Dhabiha, the Islamic form of slaughter, involves killing through a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe. Under UK animal welfare laws the knife must be sharp enough to kill immediately. The slaughterman must be Muslim and, in theory, a religious verse should be recited. In many abattoirs a recording is played over a loudspeaker. The Halal Food Authority, which polices slaughter methods, says stunning can only be used if the animal survives and is then killed under halal ritual. But some Islamic groups do not allow any form of stunning before slaughter. Advertisement

Under a strict interpretation of Islamic law, the pre-stunning of the animals is not allowed. Pre-stunning of animals is also barred under the Jewish slaughter system.

Instead, a prayer is said over the animals as they pass through the abattoir and, in theory, they are killed with a swift single cut to the throat, severing the jugular vein, using an extremely sharp knife.

Advocates of halal and kosher slaughter say this process means the animals quickly lose consciousness and so do not suffer.

This is rejected by animal welfare groups and the British Veterinary Association (BVA), which argues the public should at least be told if meat they are eating is from animals killed under religious ritual.

Evidence of cruelty will heap pressure on the Government to accept demands for CCTV to be installed in all slaughterhouses. Such a move is backed by the FSA, more than 200 MPs and the BVA.

The filming was carried out last month by campaign group Animal Aid.

Its spokesman Luke Steele said: ‘Our investigation has uncovered barbaric and deliberate cruelty being inflicted on animals, in horrific scenes unlike any we have ever seen before.

'There is no doubt that law breaking continues to be an inherent problem in abattoirs.’

Major supermarkets contacted by the Daily Mail said they did not sell meat from the Lancashire abattoir.

Surprisingly, the FSA said it ‘did not know’ where the meat produced by the plant is sold as it only keeps track of such information if there is a suspected public health risk.

Advocates of halal and kosher slaughter say this process means the animals quickly lose consciousness and so do not suffer. However this is vehemently rejected by animal rights welfare groups and the British Veterinary Association (BVA)

A spokesman said: ‘Based on our findings, and reviewing nearly 70 hours of video, we took immediate enforcement action against both the operator and individual plant staff, including the issue of Welfare Enforcement Notices and revocation of slaughterman certificates of competence.

‘Our investigations continue, but to say more at this stage could be prejudicial to any potential criminal proceedings.’

Malik Food Group did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations, but the company website insists the welfare of animals in its care is ‘of the highest priority’.