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With a swing of his right foot, a farm worker kicks a defenceless pig in the head.

The shocking attack was covertly filmed by campaigning charity Animal Equality at a large scale pig farm in Lincolnshire.

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Pigs were also filmed being hit with forks, having metal gates repeatedly slammed into them, and in one case even having marker paint sprayed up its nose.

Three workers who have admitted animal cruelty offences in a prosecution brought by the RSPCA are due to be sentenced later this month.

Gavin Hardy, 39, Troy Wagstaff, 30, and Artirs Grogprkevs, 31, have been warned that they face being jailed.

(Image: BPM MEDIA)

Incredibly, Fir Tree Farm in Goxhill, Lincolnshire, was accredited to the Red Tractor food labelling scheme – motto: “Safe, traceable, and farmed with care”.

(Image: Animal Equality) (Image: Animal Equality)

"Despite what many consumers believe, the Red Tractor label does not indicate high animal welfare," said Animal Equality executive director Dr Toni Shepherd.

"Red Tractor is industry-led scheme whose remit is to support and promote British farming, and it’s animal welfare standards are usually no more than the legal minimum.

"Additionally, there is very little independent oversight of what happens to animals on their farms.

"Between Nov 2017 and July 2018 we investigated six Red Tractor certified pig farms and found poor welfare and suffering on every one, despite Red Tractor claiming to inspect all pig farms in their scheme five times a year.

"Unfortunately the vast majority of these inspections are pre-announced, with the farmer even able to choose the inspector. None of their findings are available to the public.

"Quite simply, consumers concerned about farmed animal welfare cannot trust the Red Tractor."

Red Tractor said that it had 46,000 farm members and abuses like those at Fir Tree Farm have been uncovered at only a tiny fraction of them.

(Image: Red Tractor food labelling scheme)

“The actions of these three individuals is abhorrent but the truth is that no assurance scheme, inspection regime or standard can prevent the actions of individuals who are intent on committing criminal acts and hiding their behaviour,” it said in a statement.

“The fact remains that the vast majority of UK farmers do an outstanding job of caring for their animals, day in and day out.

"It is wrong to suggest that the ‘exposés’ covered by the media in the last 18 months mean that the British public can have little faith in Red Tractor. One of those farms has been expelled permanently from the Red Tractor scheme and two were suspended until such a time that they were able to demonstrate that they now comply.”