A FURTHER call for a judicial review of controversial plans to build Britain's first ostrich abattoir in Aberdeenshire came yesterday from an animal rights pressure group which has questioned the method of killing and the owner's claims that only 1000 birds a year would be slaughtered.
In a letter to the Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth, the Glasgow-based Animal Concern demanded the planning application for a processing plant granted last week to Aberdeenshire Poultry should be called in.
The charity claims that, since the plant will be the only UK ostrich abattoir, far more than the estimated 1000 will be slaughtered with ostriches and emus transported from as far away as the Isle of Wight and Shetland. This, they say, will increase the problems of waste disposal and present a ``risk to public safety''.
The abattoir in Ellon is expected to process around 20,000 turkeys a year, between 15,000 and 26,000 free-range broiler chickens, and around 1000 ostriches, many of which will come from Scotland's 40 ostrich farms.
The charity also objects to the method of killing saying that it is not a proven procedure. A spokesman said: ``An American slaughterhouse worker described the killing of one bird as two hours of violent struggle.''
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