Petition to close abattoir featured in Panorama expose hits 100,000 signatures

A petition calling for the closure of the abattoir at the centre of a Panorama documentary which showed ex-racehorses being sent for slaughter has reached more than 100,000 signatures.

Covert filming by Animal Aid at F Drury & Sons near Swindon in late 2019 and early 2020 was broadcast on the BBC in July in a programme titled The Dark Side of Horseracing, which showed Kiss Me Kayf, High Expectations, Beneficial Quest and Vyta Du Roc moments before they were shot dead.

As well as the appearance of former racehorses, who had travelled more than 300 miles from Ireland, at the abattoir, concerns were expressed about the methods used to slaughter the animals, including horses being taken to a kill room together and the use of a rifle on the horses.