A Kent-based animal charity has released footage filmed inside a halal abattoir which shows staff abusing sheep.

Animal Aid, in Bradford Street, Tonbridge, covertly filmed inside Bowood Yorkshire Lamb slaughterhouse for three days in December.

The three-minute clip — some of which is too graphic for us to show — features sheep being kicked in the face, hurled into walls, stamped on, taunted with knives and punched.

Scroll down for the video.

The animal rights group, which opposes farming and slaughter, captures the routine abuse of thousands of sheep and the shambolic set up that leads to their suffering.

At one point staff are seen laughing at a sheep, which has had spectacles painted around its eyes, as it lays dying.

North Yorkshire based Bowood, which is owned by father and son Robert and William Woodward, is now being investigated by the Food Standards Agency which has suspended three men's slaughter licences and is building a case for prosecution.

Video: Edited version of footage from inside the abbatoir (full version here)

It is the tenth slaughterhouse, and the first practising non-stun halal slaughter, in which Animal Aid has filmed undercover since it started its investigation in 2009.

The organisation said the abuse witnessed was typical of previous investigations, which have filmed animals being burnt with cigarettes, beaten with sticks and given electric shocks with stunning tongs.

Kate Fowler, head of campaigns at Animal Aid, said: "The vicious attacks on defenceless, frightened animals at Bowood are inexcusable. All four conveyor operators we filmed over three days abused animals to varying degrees, while the slaughterers looked on unmoved.

"This is the tenth slaughterhouse in which we have filmed undercover, and it is the ninth to be caught breaking animal welfare laws. None of the abuses we uncovered would have come to light without our cameras being in place, even though there is a government-appointed vet at each slaughterhouse."

Since 2009 the charity has called on the government to pass legislation making it compulsory for CCTV cameras to be installed in abattoirs.

Last night an adjournment debate was held on the issue in the House of Commons.

Ms Fowler said: "The government have always been against the idea seeing it as unnecessary. Last night we saw a definite softening of that policy. The government will now look at a report from the Farm Animal Welfare Committee which recommends the move."

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