A SLAUGHTERHOUSE in Todmorden has been temporarily closed down after being implicated in the ongoing horsemeat scandal.

Investigators from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) raided the Peter Boddy premises in Hey Head Lane yesterday, as part of a probe examining whether meat sold as beef, for kebabs and burgers, was in fact horse.

FSA officials say the action was linked to a simultaneous swoop on Farmbox Meats in Llandre, near Aberystwyth in Wales.

It is suspected by the agency that horse carcasses were supplied from the Boddy plant to Farmbox.

Operations have been suspended at both sites while enquiries are ongoing. The raids were co-ordinated with local police.

All meat found at the separate premises has been impounded, along with internal paperwork and customer lists.

Andrew Rhodes, FSA operations director, said: “I ordered an audit of all horse producing abattoirs in the UK after this issue first arose last month and I was shocked to uncover what appears to be a blatant misleading of consumers.

“I have suspended both plants immediately while our investigations continue.”

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson added: “This is absolutely shocking. It’s totally unacceptable if any business in the UK is defrauding the public by passing off horsemeat as beef.

“I expect the full force of the law to be brought down on anyone involved in this kind of activity.”

ABOVE: Video of the slaughterhouse site