Bureaucracy and "pointless protocol" in courts is harming the welfare of animals involved in cruelty cases, magistrates have been warned.
Animals owned by defendants involved in mistreatment trials cannot be rehomed during proceedings and unnecessary adjournments and delays are costing animal charities who care for them thousands of pounds.
The warning was issued by Nicholas Sutton, a lawyer for the RSPCA, who told Cheltenham Magistrates' Court that moves must be made to fast-track animal...
