Department of Agriculture officials deny knowledge of injured racehorses being sent to Britain for slaughter

A BBC Panorama programme claimed to expose the practice which contravenes animal welfare rights

A BBC investigation claimed that 4,000 former racehorses had been slaughtered in British and Irish abattoirs since 2019 and that the majority were Irish-trained. Picture: Getty

Officials from the Department of Agriculture have said that they had “no inkling” that the illegal practice of transporting injured Irish horses to Britain for slaughter was happening, following a BBC Panorama programme that claimed to expose the practice in Ireland.

The BBC investigation claimed that 4,000 former racehorses had been slaughtered in British and Irish abattoirs since 2019 and that the majority of slaughtered horses were Irish-trained. The programme, which aired on Monday, also ...