A smallholder from Truro has been banned from keeping animals for three years, after losing an appeal.

Theresa Cowling, 53, was first banned after pleading guilty to charges relating to offences brought by Cornwall Council's Public Protection team and the Animal and Plant Agency, part of Defra.

The offences included failing to provide piglets with a farrowing rail, failing to provide pigs and cattle with dry bedding and failing to provide pigs and cattle with a suitable diet.

Ms Cowling, a businesswoman from Idless, Truro, appealed her sentence at Truro Crown Court on February 7, but was found to have failed to improve farm conditions and subsequently banned from keeping cattle and pigs for three years.

Ms Cowling was first given advice regarding the welfare and straying of her cattle during an investigation in July 2015.

Then in December 2015 a Cornwall Council animal health inspector accompanied by an Animal and Plant Health Agency veterinary officer responded to a complaint of cattle and pigs being kept in very wet and muddy conditions.

The officers discovered dreadful conditions on the farm, with pigs and cattle living up to their bellies in mud.

The animals had not been given any bedding and were cold and shivering.

Further complaints in November 2016 and February 2017 led to revisits which showed that farm conditions had barely improved.

Ms Cowling was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work in the community, banned from keeping farm animals and ordered to pay £1,250 in costs.

Commenting after the case Jane Tomlinson, trading standards manager for Cornwall Council, said: "I am pleased that most Cornish farmers care for their animals and safeguard their welfare.

"Animal health inspectors always try to give assistance however if advice is repeatedly ignored we are left with no option but to prosecute to ensure consumers have confidence in Cornish meat and high animal welfare standards."