THREE-MONTH jail sentences were imposed on a father and son last week over the illegal running of a squalid slaughterhouse.

Harold Gray, 62, and his son Michael, 31, appeared before Harrogate magistrates on Thursday of last week.

A third man, Sumaullah Patel, 41, who acted as a halal slaughterman, was jailed for two months for carrying out botched sheep killings on the farm at Langbar, near Ilkley.

District Judge Roy Anderson said the Grays had brought farming into disrepute, and Patel, of Sunningdale Road, Bolton, had carried out ''incompetent and botched'' killings.

The court heard that the illegal slaughterhouse at the Grays' Upper Austby Farm had an open sewer with human faeces present. A chopping board was covered in bird droppings, meat had maggots in it and meat hooks were rusty.

After the hearing, trading standards officers said the conditions in the slaughterhouse were the worst they had seen.

Sentencing the three men, Judge Anderson said: "I am satisfied you caused pain and distress to these animals which, in a controlled and regulated environment, would not have occurred.''

He was told Harold Gray had previous convictions for cruelty to farm livestock and failing to comply with post-BSE control measures. Over the years he had been fined £12,000.

Patel admitted three offences of causing avoidable suffering to sheep during slaughter.

The Grays each admitted aiding and abetting Patel, and three offences of causing unnecessary suffering. They also admitted 11 offences of contravening post-BSE regulations, failing to dispose properly of high risk material and breaching rules on cattle movements, passports and records.

They denied running an unlicensed slaughterhouse on the farm, but were convicted.

Harold Gray was banned from keeping cattle and sheep for ten years; his son was banned for five years.

North Yorkshire Trading Standards acted after receiving video evidence from undercover animal sanctuary workers, employed by a Sunday newspaper, who posed as customers.