GOVERNMENT officials could face prosecution over alleged animal cruelty during the fight to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth.

The RSPCA has revealed its legal department is looking at bringing court action in a number of cases after receiving complaints from farmers over the way their livestock was culled.

Allegations, including some from farmers in the North-East and North Yorkshire, include:

*Slitting the throats of animals before they had been properly stunned

*Burying live animals under piles of dead livestock, and

*Poking still living animals in the eye with a knife to check if they were dead.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said any allegations of inhumane treatment of animals were taken seriously and would be investigated thoroughly.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: "We have interviewed nine people relating to alleged offences over the slaughter of animals for foot-and-mouth, two of those were in the North-East, one in North Yorkshire and one in Northumberland.

"Five case files are being put together to be submitted to our legal department and it could result in prosecutions for improper slaughter of animals."

Chris Graham, who farms at Manfield in North Yorkshire, said he had given a statement to the RSPCA over the slaughter of his 250 ewes, culled on May 1. He said he had been so horrified by the way the animals were killed that he could not bear to watch.

He said: "They were using stun guns and then cutting their throats so they bled to death but some of them were still jumping and thrashing around 20 minutes after they had been shot.

"They should have cut their throats straight away or put a bolt into their brains, like they did with cattle.

"And they weren't making sure they were killed first time. There were piles of bodies and all of a sudden lambs were jumping out. It was just so horrendous I had to get out."

He said one of the slaughter team was prodding the prone animals in the eye with a knife and then cutting their throats if they showed signs of life. "I just couldn't believe what was going on, it sickened me."

He said he also disputed Defra's legal right to cull animals which were not infected with foot-and-mouth.

An NFU spokesman said they were aware of some reports of culling being carried out inhumanely but the majority of farmers were happy with the way their animals had been slaughtered.

He said: "The slaughter teams have a very difficult job on their hands and the fact that only nine people have come forward out of the 10,000 farmers who have been slaughtered out is indicative.

"But where there have been problems we would like action to be taken."

A Defra spokeswoman said if an initial investigation found grounds for complaint the issue was referred to its investigations branch with a view to taking further action.

Read more about foot-and-mouth here.