Handling of Animal Welfare Concerns

I seek recorded information held by Lincolnshire County Council in relation to Trading Standards' handling of animal welfare concerns relating to Hockenhull Turkeys, Spilsby


1) The date on which Lincolnshire Trading Standards first logged or opened a record relating to this matter.



2) The date on which Lincolnshire Trading Standards was first notified of the matter by APHA and or East Lindsey District Council.



3) Any case closure note, decision record, case summary, management note, or equivalent document recording the decision not to progress to a formal Trading Standards investigation, with personal data redacted as necessary.



4) Any internal written record identifying the basis on which Lincolnshire Trading Standards concluded that the evidence did not meet the threshold for a formal investigation, including any reference to enforcement policy, evidential standards, admissibility, witness traceability, authenticity, or statutory time limits.



5) Any written policy, protocol, memorandum of understanding, local agreement, workflow document, or guidance document governing how Lincolnshire Trading Standards and APHA divide responsibilities or jointly handle complaints concerning the welfare of farmed animals.



6) Any internal written record showing whether legal advice was sought or received on the issue of witness anonymity, covertly obtained footage, or the handling of material from anonymous or protected sources in this matter.



7) I am not asking for privileged advice itself if privilege is claimed, but I do ask for any recorded information showing whether advice was sought, when, from whom, and whether it was received.



8) Any written record showing the status applied to the matter by Trading Standards, for example whether it was marked closed, pending, intelligence only, informal review, referred, or any equivalent case status.



9) Any written record showing whether any alleged offences or regulatory concerns were considered to be within time for possible enforcement when the matter was first notified in December 2025.



10) Any document or internal note recording what role, if any, Lincolnshire Trading Standards played in site visits, joint visits, or joint assessment activity with APHA in relation to this matter.



11) I am not asking for operational detail such as interview notes or identities of junior officers, only recorded information showing whether such participation took place.



12) Any written record of communications between Lincolnshire Trading Standards and APHA that summarised APHA's findings or requested Trading Standards to consider any matter said to fall within Trading Standards' remit. 

5. Please see the National Animal Health and Welfare Framework Agreement

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Thank you for your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. We have included the request above our response, for ease of reading.

We have provided a link to assist you with question 5 National Animal Health and Welfare Framework Agreement

Section 30 – Investigations and proceedings conducted by public authorities

Our duty to confirm or deny if the information is held or not does not arise in relation to information which is (or if held would be) exempt information.

Section 30(1)(b) provides that information held by a public authority is exempt information if it has at any time been held for the purposes of any investigation conducted by the authority which may lead to a decision to institute criminal proceedings which the authority has power to conduct.

This section of the FOIA applies to investigations but the authority only needs to have the power to conduct those investigations rather than a duty. Trading Standards has powers by virtue of the Animal Health Act and the Animal Welfare Act to investigate and prosecute animal welfare offences.

Public Interest Test

This exemption requires consideration of the public interest test. The authority recognise there is a strong public interest in disclosure of information which relates to Trading Standards investigations, specifically enhancing public understanding of how concerns relating to animal welfare are investigated.

Whilst the Council recognise that there is a strong public interest in transparency, it considers there is equally a strong public interest in protecting its ability to carry out investigations which requires public confidence in the ability of the authority to uphold the law. There is a strong public interest in knowing that the Council can effectively exercise its law enforcement and regulatory functions.

Disclosing information would be likely to prejudice those functions by revealing how information is assessed, how evidential thresholds are applied, and how decisions are made, which could enable individuals to evade detection or enforcement. We consider there is a significant public interest in safeguarding the integrity of our regulatory and investigative processes.

The Council considers that there is a strong public interest in protecting the integrity of its investigatory processes. Premature disclosure of information relating to matters that may fall within our regulatory or enforcement functions could risk prejudicing the fair and effective assessment of evidence and decision-making.

It is important that the authority is able to consider information carefully and reach decisions based on the evidence available, without the risk that disclosure at an early stage could undermine those processes.

We also consider the impact of a disclosure where we expect co-operation from others during an investigation, where there is an expectation of confidentiality. This carries a strong public interest where it favours a position of trust in the authority.

We are satisfied that the public interest in withholding information outweighs the public interest in disclosing information. This concludes our response.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to: Lincolnshire County Council, Customer Information Service, County Offices, Newland, Lincoln, LN1 1YL, or emailed to customerinformationservice@icasework.lincolnshire.gov.uk.

If you are still dissatisfied with the Council’s response after the internal review you have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF. Website: www.ico.org.uk

Please quote the reference number 15875685 in any future communications.