Bowood Farms Ltd, which ran a halal abattoir in Thirsk, Yorkshire where sheep were cruelly treated for fun before being slaughtered, has ceased trading. (The Business Desk)

The move comes six months after charity Animal Aid released secretly-filmed footage of the cruelty to the Food Standards Agency, who started an investigation with a view to prosecution. The company has collapsed and all fifty staff have been made redundant.

Our government currently allows halal slaughter in the UK, where animals are not stunned before their throats are cut, for fear of offending religious sensibilities.