Four men arrested in Leicestershire pig slaughter investigation
- Published
Leicestershire County Council have taken possession of a number of pigs (not pictured here) found on the farm
Four men have been arrested after a number of pigs thought to have been illegally slaughtered were found on a farm.
Police said wildlife officers went to a farm in Leire at 08:00 GMT on Saturday after concerns were raised about a large number of vehicles parked there.
A vet was called and a number of pigs had to be euthanised, Leicestershire Police added.
Other pigs at the farm were taken in by Leicestershire County Council.
Police said they had also informed the RSPCA and Leicestershire Trading Standards, which is now leading the investigation.
The force said following inquiries at the scene, two 31-year-old men from Birmingham, a 34-year-old man from Coventry and a 72-year-old man from Leicester were detained.
They were held on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and have since been released under investigation.
A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson said: "Officers from Leicestershire Trading Standards were called out to the farm by Leicestershire Police and have removed a number of pigs from the site.
"Our investigation is ongoing and we will continue to work closely with the police."
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, external, on Twitter, external, or on Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk, external.