A woman has been jailed for 18 months and banned from keeping animals for life after causing what has been described as a ‘total animal welfare disaster’.

RSPCA inspectors found animals among piles of dead bodies, with some trapped waist-deep in faeces at Ingst Manor Farm in Olveston, Bristol.

Susan Smith, aged 61, of Ingst Manor Farm, Olverston, was sentenced for 27 offences following a prosecution which had been brought by the RSPCA and South Gloucestershire Council.

Complaints had been made by members of the public expressing concerns about animals at the farm and on 14 March 2015 RSPCA inspectors attended.

They discovered a barn containing sheep, goats and cattle, which was deep in faeces and which reached the knees of cattle.

There were a large number of dead sheep and cattle in the barn, and lethargic sheep were lying on top of and under sheep carcasses which were in various stages of decomposition and in places were piled on top of one another.

There was no food or water provided, and inspectors saw that the sheep had severe wool loss with skin exposed.

In the middle of the cattle area was a large dead cow lying on its side with a young calf next to her. There were other dead cattle by the wall of this barn at varying stages of decomposition .

RSPCA inspectors found pigs with no dry area and numerous hazards, such as bricks, scrap metal, and animal carcasses littering the ground.

All around the farm was scrap metal causing potential hazard, including metal pens, hutches, vehicles and other obstacles, which presented a risk for the animals on site.

Vets attended, with one noting how he saw approximately 40 dead sheep, and that live sheep were lying alongside the deceased.

Also present were a team from South Gloucestershire Council’s Trading Standards team who discovered numerous undisposed animal carcasses at the farm.

A cow was found lying down in a corner and in a small fenced area behind it were two bags of what appeared to be animal bones. There was also a small green trailer, which contained

a carcass which may have been a calf but was difficult to identify due it the level of decomposition, and a pig carcass was seen being eaten by a live pigs.

Inspectors from the animal welfare charity returned over the following days alongside police, vets and officers from the local authority and further carcasses were found. Two pigs were also found eating what appeared to be part of another pig carcass and many of the pigs were thin, in poor condition, suffering from mange and kept in squalid conditions.

There were areas around the farm populated by old farm machinery vehicles and trailers. There were three more partly decomposed sheep carcasses in the back of one trailer, one sheep skeleton in another trailer, a sheep skeleton in the back of an old 4x4 vehicle and one sheep skeleton in another small trailer.

They also found was a large square plastic open topped tub which was described as containing a “soup” of rainwater and decomposed animal – most likely sheep.

A collector of fallen stock attended and collected almost 100 dead and decomposed sheep, in addition to lambs, horses, a cow, goats and pigs, and returned a few days later to remove further carcasses.

Between March and July 2015 there were 46 visits made by the RSPCA to Ingst Manor Farm, of which at only six were there no specific concerns identified. Of the 46 visits there were concerns on 16 visits regarding animals being given free and permanent access to water.

There was a continued failure to provide a safe environment for the animals leading to a number of animals becoming injured or trapped and suffering as a consequence.

Vet Dr David Martin described the situation in court as “nothing short of a total animal welfare disaster” and said the situation took weeks and months of cumulative poor husbandry and neglect to reach the disaster levels which were discovered by RSPCA inspectors.

He said: “I can think of no good reason to explain the presence of a horse’s hoof in amongst deep slurry in a pig pen other than to reach the obvious conclusion that the body of a horse has been fed to the pigs.”

He also noted that the level of mortality on the farm was exceptionally high in all species and said the mortality rate of the sheep was approx 58%.

The flock was infected with untreated sheep scab for which the vet said treatment is easily provided by use of injectable products which can be bought either from a vet or an agricultural merchant.

Many sheep had fractures to limbs because of the hazardous environment in which they were being kept.

Dr Martin went on to raise particular concern at the fact that the pigs were cannibalising their dead as he said this is associated with extremely high risk of serious disease.

Read more: Devonport woman sentenced after leaving injured horses to suffer

He concluded that many of the animals were caused to suffer and that their needs regarding environment and access to food and water were not being met.

During one visit a recumbent cow was seen in the barn. After her death, she was taken for a post mortem examination which showed she had sustained significant injury which would have caused her pain some days prior to her death yet no vet treatment or investigation was sought.

Following further complaints, additional visits were made to the farm in 2016 and 2017, where further offences were uncovered.

RSPCA inspector Miranda Albinson, who described the farm as one of the worst cases of animal cruelty ever seen by the charity, said: “The conditions at the farm were upsetting. The suffering of the animals will stick in the minds of all those who helped with the rescue. It was heartbreaking.”

Councillor Rachael Hunt, Cabinet Member for Communities at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “This was a shocking case, where a large number of animals endured unnecessary suffering. We are pleased to finally see this case reach its conclusion and that the judge recognised the severity of the offences and handed out considerable punishment.

“Failure to comply with animal by-product and movement record rules are serious breaches of

legislation which aim to control disease risks, ensure livestock traceability, and protect the integrity of the food chain. Not only do some diseases pose a risk to public health, the spread of animal diseases can have a devastating effect on farmers and the rural economy. This person has shown an ongoing disregard for these rules and a failure to take on board any advice given to them.”