Undercover Footage Shows Piglet Abuse at UK Farm Supplying Major Supermarkets

A disturbing undercover investigation has exposed severe animal cruelty at Northmoor Farm in Lincolnshire, a facility owned by food giant Cranswick and previously used by UK supermarket chains including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco. According to the BBC, footage recorded by a whistleblower working with the Animal Justice Project (AJP) over several weeks shows banned practices like “piglet thumping”—a brutal method of killing piglets by slamming them to the ground.

The footage, first reported by The Mail on Sunday and later covered by BBC News’ rural affairs correspondent Linsey Smith, shows containers piled with piglets, some allegedly still alive after being slammed. The whistleblower claimed workers appeared desensitised to the sound of animals suffering and frequently failed to check if piglets were actually dead before disposal.

Under UK law, using blunt force trauma to kill pigs is illegal, and such actions may breach the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations. AJP has since filed a formal legal complaint with Lincolnshire Trading Standards, who confirmed they are working with police and continue to review footage not yet released to the public.

Cranswick stated they were “incredibly disappointed” and launched an independent investigation, suspending all employees at the farm. Meanwhile, the farm’s Red Tractor certification—meant to assure high welfare standards—is under serious scrutiny.

This case is yet another reminder of the suffering hidden behind closed barn doors. It’s not just an isolated failure—it’s a systemic issue baked into industrial farming.

Choose kindness over cruelty. Support plant-based eating, boycott factory-farmed meat, and push your local stores to drop suppliers who violate animal welfare laws. Every bite is a choice—make it count.

Sign These Petitions! 

Please sign our latest and most urgent petitions to help the planet. Every signature counts!

• Petition: Ban Colorado Man Who Starved a Mama Dog and Her Puppies to Death
• Petition: Ban Animal Ownership for Man Behind Horrific Arkansas Neglect Case – Act Now for Justice
• Petition: Demand Justice for Sweetpea the Puppy – Ban Her Alleged Attacker From Owning Animals for Life

Related Content:

•  Petition: Ban Animal Abuser After Poodle Rocky Found Starving in a Crate
•  How Monkeys are Exploited and Abused for Organized Begging and Thievery
•  Ban Animal Abusers From Ever Owning Animals Again in Oconee County
•  9 Ways Peacocks Are Exploited and Abused for Their Ornamental Features
•  Three UK Livestock Workers Banned for Life After Secret Footage Exposes Calf Abuse

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Stand against fast fashion Pollution by supporting circular brands like Tiny Rescue, which create cause-based collections using recycled, zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade, ensuring it never ends up in a landfill.
• Shop Sustainably for Your Home: Visit SustaiNOBLE.org, an eco-friendly and ethically sourced home decor store that will empower your home with luxurious fair-trade, and sustainable products made by global artisans. 
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!