A MAN who kept animals living in filthy conditions on a County Durham farm has been banned from keeping dogs for five years.

John Watson Harrop, of Green Lane, Bishop Auckland, was disqualified after admitting three charges of failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that the needs of his animals were met under the Animal Welfare Act.

The 35-year-old, who is from a family of travellers, was also given a 12-month community order and must complete 150 hours of unpaid work after police and RSPCA inspectors found dogs living in cages full of faeces and waste, surrounded by bits of wood with nails sticking out at Hostel Farm, in Addison Road, Toronto, near Bishop Auckland.

During the visit on April 3 last year, a large central Asian Shepherd dog was also found living in a building that was “falling to pieces around it” and covered in faeces and waste.

A video of the scene, which was played to magistrates in Darlington, showed more dogs, including a saluki, lurchers and spaniels, living in “vile” conditions in outdoor cages, with no clean, dry flooring and everything sodden with urine and waste.

A number of ferrets were also found living in dirty cages.

Prosecutor Kevin Campbell said vets determined that the animals were not being kept in a suitably hygienic environment, which could ultimately have resulted in infectious diseases.

“There were a large number of animals (at the farm) which was effectively being used as a puppy farm,” he added.

The court heard Harrop, who has previously been banned from keeping horses for ten years, had 65 dogs living on the farm at the time of the visit.

His solicitor Simon Walker said: “No animals in this case suffered, not one of them, not a single one.

“All of the animals were properly fed and watered and were exercised – all of them.”

Mr Walker claimed the reason the cages had become so filthy was because Harrop had been in police custody for about 36 hours at the time of the visit and had not had a chance to clean them out.

“April 3 was a snapshot in time and the worst conditions due to circumstances outside his control,” added Mr Walker.

Harrop had been given an improvement notice by the RSPCA, which he had followed, and the animals were taken into RSPCA care and re-homed.

He was also ordered to pay £600 legal costs, £500 vet fees and a victim surcharge of £60.