A CHICKEN farmer has been banned from the poultry business after thousands died in “horrific” conditions.

Chickens were crammed into giant sheds without proper ventllation for hot weather and died in some of the worst conditions an industry vet had even seen.

Jumbo Water Tower owner Paul Flatman, 65, admitted six charges under the Animal Welfare Act including causing unneccessary suffering.

He was jailed for 22 weeks for each of the six offences but this sentence was suspended.

Wormingford parish councillor Flatman, of Packards Lane, was also banned from having any involvement in the poultry industry for five years and ordered to pay almost £12,500 costs.

Alison Lambert, prosecuting for Trading Standards at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Friday, told the court Flatman has seven farms which are leased out.

In 2009 a specialist vet had visited his premises, at Hawksmill Farm, Mill Lane, Great Leighs.

Concerns had been raised about the amount of chickens in each shed and the lack of ventilation leading to a risk of heat stress with guidance given.

Flatman ignored the advice and failed to put safety measures in place.

In 2011 several chickens died from heat stress.

No prosecution was brought but Flatman was investigated and changed nothing.

Betwen August 18 and August 20, 2012, more than 6,000 - about 25 per cent of the chickens - died and about 5,000 were refused by an abbatoirs because of their condition.

Ms Lambert told the court chickens were squashed and suffocating in 36 degree heat with some sheds containing almost twice the legal number allowed.

When the vet visited “piles of 25 birds high ran the whole lengths of the sheds”, they were “black and blue”, “living birds were eating the dead ones” while thousands of chickens suffered.

When attempts were made to open the sheds to allow air in the chickens escaped dying when they hit the concrete outside.

It was also claimed Flatman deliberately manipulated records about how many chickens were in each shed purely for profit.

Paul Rogers, mitigating, claimed Flatman was not aware of the scale of the problem because of a “breakdown in communication” and denied Flatman had put profit first pointing to his many years as a respected member of the industry and the community.

He told the court Flatman had received death threats as a result of articles about the cruelty.

Judge John Woollard sentenced Flatman to jail but suspended it due to his good character, ill health and the care he provided to his partner.

He also acknowleged the harm this sort of behaviour can cause to the reputation of the entire British poultry industry.

Flatman will have to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

Following the court case Flatman declined to comment.

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TRADING Standards welcomed the decision to punish Paul Flatman following the deaths of more than 6,000 chickens from heat stress.

They suffered heat stroke because many were too heavy, too elderly, too crammed in and without ventilation.

Roger Walters, cabinet member for Trading Standards at Esssex County Council, said: “Essex Trading Standards is responsible for animal welfare standards on farms.

“This case shows that we will not tolerate livestock being kept in these kinds of conditions.”

Deborah Alexander, the investigating veterinary officer, said: “This tragic event resulted in many thousands of birds dying due to heat stress and could have been avoided.

“We are very grateful to Essex Trading Standards for the enforcement action they have taken in this case.”