A Halstead farmer has denied there was any problem with the welfare of any animals on his farm, after a storm of criticism on the Facebook pages of Kent Animal Defenders.

The animal rights group has been keeping a close eye on Oaks Farm near Sevenoaks after an incident in November in which a bull was left lying in mud unable to get up for more than 24 hours after breaking its hock. The animal eventually had to be put down.

The group feared the tragedy was about to be repeated this weekend, when a bull appeared to be stuck in heavy mud just inside the gate of the farm.

Concerned, they called the police who attended at 11.30pm last night.

Farmer Craig Sargent said: "There was no problem. I walked the two officers down to where around five animals were laying and at our approach they all got up and moved away. None of them was stuck."

Kent Animal Defenders confirmed on their website at 12.07am this morning that the animal they were concerned about was now on its feet.

A Kent Police spokesman said: "We were called at around 10.05pm on Monday to field in Watercroft Road, Halstead, following a report of concern for the welfare of a bull in a waterlogged field.

"Officers attended the scene with the landowner and the bull, along with a number of cows, was moved to another field."

Following the death of the bull in November, Mr Sargent's farm was picketed by a group of around 20 protestors and an online petition calling for the Government's Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to shut the farm down received more than 40,000 signatures.

There have been previous incidents at the farm in Clarks Lane.

In December last year, neighbours were horrified to see two cows die in the field.

Mr Sargent has been farming since 1985, and currently has another 35 cows and three bulls.

He had previously been given a five-year ban from keeping animals in 2007 after a conviction for not trimming a bull's hooves.

That ban has now expired.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency has previously declined to say whether it was carrying out any special investigation into animal welfare at Oaks Farm, but Mr Sargent said: "I have regular inspections by the APHA and they are happy."

Police have been contacted for more details.

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