I WAS horrified and disgusted at the story regarding the keeping of animals in unimaginable squalor.

Despite a fine, ban and a suspended sentence the ex-Longhope butcher continued to sell his eggs and, in addition, inserts a classified ad in the Review: “pretty kittens for sale” – both despite the court ruling only a few days previously.

The RSPCA clarified the position. It transpires that the story apparently omitted to give the full picture, what it failed to mention was that despite the RSPCA inspector being “pleased with the result” at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court, the court agreed the former butcher can keep all the animals and birds referred to in the article until the end of 2015.

In view of the fact that he was described, and pleaded guilty, to keeping animals without meeting their basic needs and causing unnecessary suffering and has been banned from keeping animals for five years, it defies belief that he is allowed by the same court to look after them for the next four months.

The court requires that another person takes responsibility for the animals care along with him.

I would have expected that he would have ceased to have been able to legally look after any animal or bird immediately following the court’s judgement, not after a four-month lapse.

I find myself almost speechless at both the lunacy of the court’s leniency and the illogical inconsistency of banning someone from keeping animals for five years and at the same time leaving the animals in their care.

The RSPCA is apparently bound by the court’s ruling and can do nothing to remove the animals before the end of 2015.

– Animal lover, Longhope.