A LOCAL farmers' leader has slammed a Stockton abattoir for cheating farmers by misrepresenting the weight of beef carcases.

Cleveland Meat Company, of Yarm Road, Stockton, pleaded guilty at Teesside Magistrates' Court to three offences contrary to the Weights and Measures Act 1985.

The firm was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £1,122.31 towards prosecution costs.

Magistrates heard that the offences were uncovered following an unannounced visit by a trading standards officer and an inspector from the Rural Payments Agency last July.

During the visit, discrepancies were found between the actual weights of beef carcases and the weights recorded by the scale operator in the company's documents, including weight labels on the carcases themselves.

These weights were used to calculate the payment made by the company to the seller, in this case a small local farmer.

David Maughan, vice-chairman of the NFU's North-East Regional Livestock Board, said: "I feel very disappointed that they have cheated farmers in this way.

"Farmers have trust in the slaughtermen who weigh carcases, and that trust has been betrayed. The industry relies on these people and we feel let down and saddened by this because it's people's livelihoods they are playing with.

"We've been through a long period where beef prices have not been high, and farmers do not need this sort of kick in the teeth."

Michael Broad, who is director of the Cleveland Meat Company, and other senior managers had been advised on previous occasions that the practice of deducting weight from carcases was improper and should be stopped.

On one occasion, amended invoices had been issued by the company to compensate another seller for the shortfall in payment owing to weight discrepancies.

Trading standards and licensing manager David Kitching said: "It was very unlikely that the seller of the cattle, who had no means of checking the weight of the carcases once they left his possession, would have uncovered this unfair practice.

"The seller simply relied on the abattoir to make a fair and accurate recording of the weight, and therefore payment, of the cattle."

Coun Martyn Ingram, Stockton Council cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: "I hope that the fine imposed will act as a deterrent to others who may be tempted to copy this practice to make a quick profit. This type of illegal practice should not, and will not, be tolerated."

Simon Catterall, company solicitor for Cleveland Meat, said: "All the company did was discount the excessive fat content of an overweight animal presented for slaughter, which has been standard practice in the meat industry for years.

"All the parties concurred with the arrangement - there was no loss or gain to anyone - and it is regrettable that the council, which deals with similar incidents elsewhere, by advice felt they had to prosecute, but there you go."