Shocking video footage has been released which appears to show cows being beaten and stabbed at a flagship farm used in Marks and Spencer adverts.
A two-year investigation was launched after vegan activist Joey Carbstrong secretly put cameras in place at a dairy farm owned by Charlie Langmead, which has been an RSPCA Assured facility since 2022.
Footage posted online appears to show workers smacking calves in the face, kicking cows, hitting the animals on the back and with a metal floor scraper.
In one instance, an employee can be seen running at a cow and angrily shouting ‘You’re f***ng r*****ed’, before appearing to stab it with a sharp object.
Mr Carbstrong, an ex-gang member who went vegan in 2013, claimed M&S had previously used the farm in its advertising.
A promotional video featuring Mr Langmead is included in the M&S video, where the farmer says: ‘All farmers and all M&S dairy farmers have a real connection with their animals.’
Footage appears to show one of the employees kicking a cow on the dairy farm
Workers were also seen apparently smacking calves in the face, kicking cows, hitting the animals on the back and with a metal floor scraper
Writing on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Carbstrong said: ‘Our 2 year investigation at this RSPCA Assured M&S select flagship farm uncovered horrific abuse of cows.
‘M&S have previously used this horror farm in their promotional videos and advertisements.
‘If this is the best of the best and the ‘highest welfare’ dairy in the UK, that should tell you everything you need to know. Footage was taken in 2022 and 2024.’
Responding to the distressing footage, M&S said the alleged behaviour fell ‘well below the standards’ expected of the supermarket and that it had immediately suspended the farm after being showed the video.
Vegan activist Joey Carbstrong secretly put cameras in place at a dairy farm owned by Charlie Langmead
A spokesperson for M&S said: ‘The footage in this article shows behaviour that falls well below the standards our customers rightly expect from us, so we have immediately suspended the farm from our supply chain whilst we and RSPCA Assured urgently investigate.’
Businesswoman Deborah Meaden shared the video and said: ‘We don’t deserve this planet and they don’t deserve this cruelty and M&S need to be better or they don’t deserve our custom.’
