This article contains graphic footage of animal abuse some readers may find distressing
Shocking undercover footage has exposed Cranswick plc farm violently killing piglets using an illegal method known as ‘piglet thumping’. The revelations are part of a national campaign to “expose the realities of pig farming to the British public” and has prompted legal action and renewed scrutiny of the UK pig industry.
Cranswick pig farm: shocking footage of animal cruelty
The footage was captured at Northmoor Farm in Lincolnshire, which houses around 6,000 pigs and is approved by Red Tractor. It shows employees swinging newborn piglets by their legs and slamming them against concrete – leaving some gasping for breath minutes after:
Other shocking evidence of animal cruelty included:
- Botched shootings. Employees shot adult pigs, including heavily pregnant sows, with captive bolts while unrestrained. One sow was heard screaming after the first shot and they left it conscious, in clear distress.
- Severe abuse. Staff kicked, scratched, kneed, and jabbed pigs. They pulled their hair back, and beat them with metal bars and shovels. Alongside this, they threw piglets across pens, hoisted them by their ears, and dropped them onto hard floors.
- Animal neglect. Staff left a decomposing sow in her pen for days. Workers admitted pigs had not been checked, raising serious concerns about routine welfare monitoring.
- Culture of violence. The investigator overheard staff making disturbing comments, including: “Don’t let nobody see you doing like what we did”, suggesting awareness of wrongdoing and a deliberate effort to conceal abuse.
- Routine mutilations. Piglets were tail docked, had their teeth ground, and were given iron injections within 24-48 hours of birth. These painful procedures were carried out without anaesthetic. The investigator filmed botched tail docking involving repeated attempts on the same piglet. Workers described mutilating up to 80 piglets in a single day as standard practice.
- Intensive conditions. The farm confines thousands of pigs indoors on fully or partially slatted flat decks, without bedding, meaningful enrichment, or outdoor access. It confines sows in restrictive farrowing crates for around five weeks at a time – from days before giving birth until piglets are weaned at approximately 27 days old. The UK outlawed use of blunt force trauma for piglets under 10kg in 2022 after repeated warnings from the UK’s Animal Welfare Committee and the EU’s Reference Centre for Animal Welfare. Both identified the method as unreliable, inhumane, and unnecessary given available mechanical alternatives.
Project Pig stirs legal action
Dr Alick Simmons, former UK government’s deputy chief veterinary officer and former veterinary director at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) who watched the footage, commented:
The shows repeated and ineffective attempts to kill piglets using blunt force trauma. A humane killer was not used and no assessments were made to confirm death. At least one piglet appeared to continue breathing after the attempted kill. That such practices are taking place on a large, commercial farm highlights a serious failure in training, management and oversight. This is unacceptable, particularly when a humane and legally acceptable alternative exists. It causes significant suffering and has no place in modern farming.
Barrister Ayesha Smart has filed a formal complaint to Trading Standards, citing multiple breaches of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 (WATOK) and consumer law.
Smart said:
The use of blunt force trauma to kill piglets is banned – yet it appears to be used routinely and without restraint. This isn’t just shocking, it’s unlawful.
An undercover investigator for animal rights organisation Animal Justice Project captured the footage over several weeks in 2024, as part of their new campaign, Project Pig. This is a bold initiative the group aims at confronting the public with the harsh realities of pig farming in the UK.
The investigator filmed this inside a farm operated by Elsham Linc ltd, a large-scale indoor pig farming business owned by Cranswick plc: Britain’s largest pig producer and a major supplier to Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, and other leading retailers.
Elsham Linc, acquired by Cranswick in August 2023 for £32m, farms 8,000 sows and slaughters 35,000 pigs each week across 18 sites in North Lincolnshire. Cranswick holds approximately 900,000 pigs at any one time.
In March 2025, Sainsbury’s announced a ten-year, £60m deal to source all its British pork – including sausages, premium bacon, gammon, and cooked meats – through Cranswick. Cranswick is also a long-standing major pork supplier to Tesco.
Supermarkets suspend Cranswick as a supplier
Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, and Asda said they had suspended their supplies from the farm.
A Tesco spokesperson told the Guardian that:
We take all reports of poor animal welfare extremely seriously and expect all our suppliers to adhere to our high welfare standards.
Meanwhile, the Sainsbury’s spokesperson told the outlet:
These allegations involve unacceptable treatment of animals, which has no place in our supply chain.
Similarly, Morrisons told it:
We care deeply about animal welfare and these are shocking and concerning allegations. We understand that Cranswick are investigating urgently.
An Asda spokesperson echoed what the other supermarkets said, telling the Guardian that:
We have clear animal welfare policies that all our suppliers must uphold and we welcome the swift response and action taken by Cranswick at this farm.
Cranswick also responded to the allegations, stating that:
The welfare of the animals we rear is of the utmost importance and we are extremely disappointed to see the unacceptable lapse of welfare standards captured at Northmoor Farm.
As soon as we saw the footage, we immediately suspended the team working at the farm and we are conducting an urgent and thorough investigation. We have also suspended the farm from supplying any pigs until the investigation is completed.
The start of a national sustained campaign to expose the violence of pig farming
Cranswick plc is based in Hull. It sends over 34,000 pigs to slaughter weekly and generated £146m in fresh pork revenue last year. The company markets its pork as “high welfare” and “sustainable”. This is the second recent blow to the company’s reputation. Notably, it follows the rejection of its plans for a controversial mega-pig farm in Norfolk.
Founder of Animal Justice Project Claire Palmer said:
We will not be pulling any punches. This marks the start of a national, sustained campaign to expose the violent realities of pig farming in Britain. We are demanding immediate enforcement of the ban on blunt force trauma and the prosecution of Cranswick. There must be an independent public inquiry into pig farming practices and regulatory failures. Ultimately, we’re calling for a legislative phase-out of pig farming in favour of a food system that no longer depends on animal suffering.
Given its findings, Animal Justice Project is calling for:
- Immediate enforcement of the law banning blunt force trauma and prosecution of Cranswick.
- An independent public inquiry into pig farming practices, regulation, and welfare failures.
- A legislative phase-out of pig farming in the UK, in favour of a food system that no longer relies on animal suffering.
- Despite Animal Justice Project’s investigator catching it on film breaking the law, farms like Northmoor continue to supply pork to UK supermarkets under the Red Tractor and other assurance labels. Campaigners say this is a clear case of consumer deception.
Palmer continued:
The animals suffer. The law is ignored. And the public is being misled. The government must act — now.
Feature image supplied.
