Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan was so appalled by the “disgusting” conditions at an industrialised chicken farm he is backing court action to have them outlawed.
Last year the star, who plays Hugh MacClare in the period drama, filmed undercover in a farm where 25,000 chicks were being reared in a hangar.
He said: “The moment the door was opened, the stench and the heat were overwhelming. The chicks were clearly in a state of terrible discomfort.
“They had only been there two days and the floor was littered with dead bodies.
“I felt so sorry for these little creatures. Everything about it was disgusting and I just felt that no cheap food was worth this.”
Becoming a vegan in 2016 Peter has thrown his weight behind the campaign, being led by pressure group Humane Being.
Their application for a judicial review of Defra’s support for factory farming is being heard in the High Court today.
In court papers seen by the Mirror, Humane Being accuse Defra, headed by Environment Secretary George Eustice, of jeopardising public health by allowing “continued unsafe farming practices”.
They cite scientists’ claims of links between pandemic diseases and factory farming. And they say Defra is flouting human rights laws by failing to protect the public against its dangers.
Today’s hearing will decide whether Humane Being’s allegations can be heard in full before a High Court judge.
Jane Tredgett, Humane Being founder, said: “Factory Farms pose a significant risk for the outbreak of increasingly deadly zoonotic diseases like bird or swine flu, with the potential to kill millions of people around the world.”
Peter added: “It’s not surprising that diseases are transmitted from these facilities. Animals are living in such close proximity that they become stressed, and their immune system collapses.
“Corporations have decided factory farming is a great way of making money – at the expense of any compassion for the poor animal.
“Profit is the motive, driven by the lie it’s producing good, cheap food for the masses. We have to actually own up to the fact that, here in the UK, we’re an animal-loving country in name only.
“So few people are prepared to go the extra mile in terms of care and compassion for animals. One of the steps is to say, we don’t need factory farming [or] animal products at every meal.”
Defra said it does not comment on legal proceedings. However, a spokesman said: “We continue to promote the production of healthier, higher welfare farm animals.
“All farms should implement strong biosecurity measures and report suspected disease immediately.”