IT is now more than a year since the shocking abuse and cruelty was exposed at the Bowood Yorkshire Lamb slaughterhouse at Busby Stoop, near Thirsk. To date, no one has been prosecuted, no one punished.

There are many questions to be answered not least why this prosecution is taking so long. It cannot be for lack of evidence – it was there for millions to see on national television.

A vet was on duty at the time to supposedly oversee animal welfare.

Is he, or she, to be disciplined by their professional body?

This abuse was exposed by the charity Animal Aid – why not by trading standards or the people working, who must have known what was going on but chose to turn a blind eye.

One way of stopping cruelty in slaughterhouses is to install CCTV and have it independently monitored.

This does happen in some countries but not here. The powerful red meat lobby resists this even though it would not be expensive to install. One wonders why.

This Government, as always, takes their side.

Thankfully, the Bowood slaughterhouse is no longer operating. I await the CPS decision with interest, but not much hope.

James Alderson, Grinton