A MOVE to enforce abattoirs to operate CCTV cameras looks set to be debated in the House of Commons, in the wake of allegations about animal cruelty at a slaughterhouse.

An e-petition, which also calls for legislation to ensure selected footage from the cameras to be independently monitored by welfare experts, saw a surge of signatures after Animal Aid released film of workers at Bowood Yorkshire Lamb, at Busby Stoop, near Thirsk, last week.

Police maintained a presence in the area surrounding the abattoir over the weekend, following speculation that animal rights activists were set to protest outside the premises.

It has also emerged that staff at the abattoir have received death threats.

In 2011, the Government introduced a website for registering e-petitions and announced any that reached 100,000 signatures would be passed to the House of Commons Backbench Business Committee.

As the e-petition by Animal Aid's head of campaigns, Kate Fowler, has more than 102,000 signatures, the Leader of the House of Commons will write to the committee, asking it to consider a debate.

The e-petition states: "Properly monitored CCTV would deter abuse, encourage best practice, help with staff training, and provide evidence for prosecutions.

"CCTV won’t end slaughterhouse suffering, but it is an invaluable tool to help vets and welfare officers protect animals from gratuitous abuse and incompetent or negligent workers."

After the e-petition received more than 10,000 signatures, the Government said it was not convinced of the need to make CCTV in abbatoirs compulsory.

It said CCTV might not be an effective monitoring tool, but could be helpful after a welfare breach had taken place.