Councillor who ran illegal puppy farm to pay £30k

Alistair Chambers admitted two offences under the Animal Welfare Act in 2022

A city councillor who ran an illegal puppy farm has been ordered to pay £30,000 in costs to the council, it has emerged.

Alastair Chambers, of Manor Farm Way, Quedgeley, pleaded guilty in 2022 to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act and was ordered to pay almost £50,000 in June.

More than 25 dogs were found when his farm was raided by police in July 2020.

It has come to light that he was ordered to pay Gloucester City Council's legal costs of £30,000 over three years by Judge Ian Lawrie on 16 October.

In June 2022, Chambers admitted breeding dogs without a licence and selling pets without a licence between June 2020 and May 2021, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He was ordered to pay £49,823.36 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Chambers, who now leads the Community Independent Group and is a councillor for Matson and Robinswood, was sentenced in December to an 18-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work to be undertaken within 12 months, plus ten days' rehabilitation activity.

He was also disqualified from dealing with animals, including transporting them, for ten years.

Chamber’s community order was revoked on 25 October after an application by the probation service based on good progress.

Chambers previously said he did not mistreat the dogs and is allowed to keep all of his pet animals.