A FARMER who makes educational visits to schools and nurseries with her animals has been fined after animal carcasses were found on her premises.

Janet Mutters, 54, pleaded guilty to one charge of the failure to dispose of sheep and goats carcasses properly and three charges of failure to notify the correct authorities about the movement of animals.

Ms Mutters runs Appreciating Animals from her farm in Hawridge Lane, Bellingdon, Chesham and takes small animals, pigs, goats, sheep and calves to schools, fêtes, nurseries and residential homes.

The sheep and goat carcasses were found on the farm last September where trading standards then realised she had moved animals in August without notifying the correct authorities.

Defending Ms Mutters John Berry said Blackstone Farm in Bicester had attended the farm in the previous week to remove animal carcasses and showed invoices that they had been to the farm before.

He said: “Unfortunately after Blackstone Farm had left there were a number of lambs and goats which died- not a large amount.”

She said she placed the carcasses in a wheelbarrow and covered them but as it was a hot week there was “some smell” so they were placed on a bonfire.

Mr Berry said with regard to moving the animals Ms Mutters had struggled to cope with the amount of paperwork that week in August as her daughter, who helped her with paperwork was away, and one of her drivers was ill with a bad back.

He said: “Ms Mutters was left to do, not everything, but a great deal more than she would normally by required to do.”

He added although Ms Mutters had not notified the correct authorities she had written it down in her animal movement book, which is how trading standards found out.

There was also evidence a vet regularly attends the farm and a testimony was read out from a nursery worker who said on a visit to the nursery the Appreciating Animals staff "were excellent".

Mr Berry said: “This is not a lady who does not care for her farm and farm animals- quite the opposite.”

David Pickering from Trading Standards said Ms Mutters had been convicted of failure to notify animal movements in 2004.

He said although the movement was “low risk” and she is not a “typical farmer” if there was an outbreak of disease it would be difficult to locate where the animals had been because they are moved a lot to various locations.

He added: “She seems to have difficulty bringing establishing a business system in regard to movement records.”

Ms Mutters was fined £490 and ordered to pay £415 in court costs.

Magistrates said Ms Mutters was “aware of the correct procedures” and she “deliberately disregarded” them.

But they took into account her financial restraints, her good animal care and said she is a “good ambassador for animal welfare in the community.”