Hartshead Meats

UPDATE (10 May 2026): This article has been updated to reflect the latest developments, including the 8 May police raid, the Environment Agency investigation into local waste spillage, and the dual national petitions calling for the facility’s closure.


On 8 May, a protest occurred at the Hartshead Meats facility on Broadcarr Lane, Mossley. This was one of several demonstrations arranged at the site following the release of an undercover documentary by Joey Carbstrong. (horrific footage please watch with extreme caution). The footage, filmed inside the Millstone Farm abattoir, alleges severe breaches of UK animal welfare standards. Key allegations include the dismemberment and decapitation of cows while still displaying signs of consciousness, and a routine failure to perform the required legal checks for death before starting the butchery process.

The abattoir is situated on the same site as P. Mullaney & Sons Limited scrap metal, creating a large industrial complex at Millstone Farm. The site is an FSA-approved abattoir (No. 2095) and is licensed for mixed-method operations, including both standard stunned slaughter and non-stun religious slaughter. While the scrap metal business has been based in Mossley since the 1940s, the meat processing facility is a later addition; the company states it was established 20 years ago, though the current legal entity was incorporated in 2010.

During the events on 8 May, individuals gathered at the entrance to the facility to observe the ongoing operations. Greater Manchester Police were present on Broadcarr Lane to monitor the situation and ensure the peace was maintained. This follows local concerns regarding a significant spillage of slaughterhouse waste onto the public highway documented around 30 April. This spillage resulted in two official reports being filed with the Environment Agency (references 02500948 and 02500952). The Agency’s intervention was prompted by reports of a red, noxious liquid discharging from the Millstone Farm site and entering local storm drains. Local councillors confirmed that the Agency was overseeing the clean-up operation and investigating the environmental impact on the surrounding area.

Following the publication of the footage, several prominent local retailers publicly distanced themselves from the facility. Businesses including The Butcher’s Block (Oldham) and W.H. Frost (Chorlton) confirmed they have suspended or terminated their supply contracts with Hartshead Meats pending the outcome of official investigations. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirmed it had launched an active investigation into the allegations and stated publicly that it was “taking the footage very seriously.” At the time of writing, no criminal convictions or court findings relating to the allegations have been publicly confirmed. Local MP Jonathan Reynolds also acknowledged the reports and confirmed he had contacted the FSA regarding concerns about compliance with animal welfare procedures at the site. In response to the allegations, Hartshead Meats stated that the released footage “lacks context.”

The police response to the situation has involved multiple incidents. On Sunday 3 May, a protester was taken into custody during a demonstration on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence, a charge that activists at the scene have since disputed. More recently, on the morning of Friday 8 May, investigator Joey Carbstrong was arrested during a 4:00 AM police raid at his residence. During this operation, officers seized electronic equipment including laptops and phones, an action his team maintains was an attempt to seize and suppress the evidence gathered during his investigation. This follows Carbstrong’s public allegations that several hidden cameras and SD cards were removed from the abattoir by those running the site; he has specifically named Richard Mullaney in his calls for the return of the equipment, claiming the “stolen” data contains further footage of illegal activity. As of 9 May, Greater Manchester Police have not released a formal statement confirming the specific charges or the legal basis for the seizure of the devices.

The controversy surrounding Hartshead Meats has become part of a much wider national debate concerning slaughterhouse regulation, transparency and animal welfare enforcement within the UK meat industry. This public outcry has sparked a massive online movement, with two distinct petitions gaining thousands of signatures: one calling for the urgent closure of the facility and another demanding an urgent official investigation into the alleged abuses.

Issues raised by campaigners include the effectiveness of Food Standards Agency oversight, the use of CCTV inside slaughterhouses, welfare standards during slaughter, and the legality and ethics surrounding both stunned and non-stun slaughter practices. The case also reflects the increasing role of undercover investigations and activist journalism in exposing alleged welfare breaches within food production facilities. For many involved, the events at Hartshead Meats represent more than an isolated incident; the case has become symbolic of broader concerns surrounding the hidden realities of industrial slaughter in the United Kingdom.

UPDATE (11 May 2026): Evidence of Targeted Acoustic Harassment and Welfare Breaches

New video evidence has emerged documenting the deployment of high-pitched acoustic sirens from the Millstone Farm perimeter, positioned in trees and directed specifically toward protestors on Broadcarr Lane. While the facility may claim these devices are for pest control, Campaigners allege the sirens were being manually activated specifically in response to peaceful vigils on Broadcarr Lane, raising concerns about targeted acoustic harassment. Because Broadcarr Lane is a publicly maintained highway, the right to assembly is protected under the Human Rights Act 1998, and using sirens to disperse individuals in a public space may constitute a statutory nuisance under Section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The scope of this issue extends critically to the surrounding livestock and domestic animals. The footage confirms the presence of sheep in adjacent fields and horses in the fields directly opposite the abattoir while the sirens were active. Under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause “unnecessary suffering” to any protected animal. Horses and sheep have a significantly higher hearing range than humans, meaning these sirens can cause physical pain and panic. For the cattle held within the lairage, the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (WATOK) Regulations mandate a calm environment; using high-frequency noise for security purposes—thereby creating “avoidable distress”—is a direct contradiction of these mandatory standards.

Furthermore, the conduct of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on-site has raised serious questions regarding public safety and duty of care. Witnesses have reported that officers remained in their vehicles with windows rolled up to shield themselves from the noise, failing to intervene as the sirens impacted protestors, their domestic dogs, and nearby livestock. Under Section 161 of the Highways Act 1980, it is an offence to engage in activities near a road that cause danger or interruption to highway users. By allowing sirens to continue that could easily spook a horse or dog into traffic, the police response has been described by campaigners as a failure to protect the public from a known hazard. The peaceful presence on the road continues as the community awaits the results of the Food Standards Agency’s urgent investigation into the site’s internal operations.

Requests for Accountability

In the interest of journalistic transparency, Hartshead Meats has been approached for a statement regarding the intended purpose of the acoustic sirens and their compliance with mandatory animal welfare standards. Furthermore, a formal enquiry has been submitted to Greater Manchester Police to clarify their duty of care on the public highway, specifically regarding the reported inaction of officers when faced with targeted acoustic harassment. Both parties were asked to address the potential risks to livestock and domestic animals under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Highways Act 1980. At the time of publication, no response has been received.

UPDATE (12 May 2026): Animal Disease Restrictions and Alleged Fresh Transport Breaches

This high-stakes biosecurity pressure has been severely compromised by everyday vehicle management at the site. Fresh video evidence captured by local observers on Broadcarr Lane shows a livestock transport lorry entering the facility with its front registration plate, WA23 JXE, clearly visible. The video appears to documents a steady stream of wet cow manure and liquid waste spilling openly from the back of the moving lorry onto the public highway. In a highly unusual move, the vehicle’s rear registration plate was completely blacked out or missing at the time of the spill.

Under the Transit of Animals Order, it is an offence to operate a livestock truck that leaks animal waste onto public roads. Campaigners note that this incident breaks transport regulations, creates an immediate road hazard, and directly undermines the national fight against Bluetongue Virus. The disease is spread by biting midges, which breed and thrive in pools of wet organic waste. By allowing leaking transport trucks to drop slurry right outside the gates with obscured number plates, the facility risks creating localised vector breeding grounds, heavily increasing the disease threat to healthy livestock on surrounding farms.