A FARMER who claims his animals were mistreated by Government officials during a cull on his farm has attacked the RSPCA for failing to support his legal campaign for compensation.

Chris Graham, of Lane Ends Farm, in Manfield, near Darlington, claims Government vets mishandled the culling of his flock of sheep, carried out as part of last year's foot-and-mouth epidemic.

He said that in some cases they had to shoot his animals more than once to kill them.

He has also complained that officials poked some of his sheep's eyes with their fingers to check that they were dead.

He said that despite reporting the incidents to the RSPCA, no legal action has been taken.

Mr Graham, who lost several hundred sheep after a neighbouring farm became infected, said: "I reported the incidents in June and the RSPCA said they would take on the case, but almost six months later they told me there wasn't a case to answer.

"I was horrified by the way they treated my sheep, and felt something should be done, but the RSPCA decided, after six months, that they would not fight the case.

"I'm outraged and I don't think justice has been done. It's bad enough losing my sheep, but the way they handled it was frankly inhumane.

"I'm very angry that the RSPCA has decided to drop the case. There are hundreds of farmers around the country who are in a similar position."

Mr Graham's flock was culled on May 1 last year, but he claims the RSPCA took until November to inform him that it would not take up his case.

He is now hoping to pursue it himself, and has teamed up with other aggrieved farmers from around the country.

But the RSPCA defended its decision. A spokeswoman for the organisation said that, in many cases of this kind, a lack of evidence meant it could not prosecute.

She said: "This case was fully investigated and the evidence was examined thoroughly.

"However, there was not sufficient evidence to support a prosecution and the case was closed."

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said: "A verbal complaint was made to a Defra animal health officer one week after the cull.

"The case was investigated, but nothing was found to substantiate the farmer's claims. We have not been asked to re-investigate the case."