A VIGILANT Weobley abattoir technician discovered a steer had paperwork for a younger animal by looking at its teeth, Hereford magistrates heard.

Nigel Charles Nixon of Cwmbach Llechrhyd, Builth Wells, pleaded guilty to charges including provision of a false identity and moving an animal with an incorrect passport.

Michael Jones, prosecuting for Herefordshire Council, said Nixon transported the steer to abattoir, R E Williams on September 10 2002.

A technician discovered the animal had too many teeth and was not the age stated on its passport and ear tag. The abattoir's vet then examined the head.

Representing Nixon, Zep Bellavia said his client made a genuine mistake and one error had resulted in several allegations.

He said Nixon had experienced some deaths within his herd and he had inadvertently placed the tag of a dead calf on the ear of an older animal.

Mr Bellavia said: "Mr Nixon had had a couple of calves die from pneumonia and he decided to bury the calves himself. He took the ear tags off and put them in a box."

The steer had lost its tag in the field and when Nixon found it he put it in the same container.

When Nixon, who manages 85 cattle, took the animal to the abattoir, he took a tag from the box and a passport corresponding with the number on the tag.

"They have made sure this will never happen again - all the replacement tags have been reordered," added Mr Bellavia.

He also said Nixon had faced 'exceptional personal circumstances' during the past 12 months and was a man of good character.

Describing Nixon as 'somebody with full qualifications and awards for what he does', Mr Bellavia also produced letters from the Organic Soil Association and the Welsh Black Cattle Society.

In summing up, magistrates said they believed Nixon had made a genuine mistake and ordered him to pay a fine of £375 and a contribution of £500 to the costs.