AssetID: 55750502
Headline: Man convicted of attending cockfight amid fears barbaric 'sport' is making a comeback
Caption: **WARNING CONTAINS DISTRESSING IMAGES** BY MARK WORGAN Animal charities fear cockfighting is returning to Britain after a Birmingham man was banned from keeping animals for 10 years after admitting attending an illegal bird bout in the city. Naheem Hussain, 41, of Nansen Road, Saltley, was sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 22 May following a prosecution brought by the RSPCA. The court imposed a 10-year disqualification order preventing him from keeping animals, which cannot be appealed for five years. Hussain was also given a 12-month community order, including 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and ordered to pay £150 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge. Hussain had previously pleaded guilty to being present at an animal fight involving cockerels at an unknown address in Birmingham on 30 July 2023, contrary to Section 8(2) of the Animal Welfare Act. The RSPCA said it had received more than 350 reports of cockfighting between 2012 and 2020. While the activity has historically been associated with rural communities, the charity said intelligence gathered by its Special Operations Unit suggests incidents are taking place in a range of locations across the country, including urban allotments, gardens, farms and agricultural sites. This case emerged from a wider investigation into organised animal fighting. West Midlands Police seized a mobile phone during Operation Moss, an RSPCA investigation into organised dog fighting in Birmingham in 2023. Analysis of the device uncovered videos of cockfighting. According to the RSPCA, Hussain was identified as one of six men appearing in a 10-minute video showing a cockfight. The charity's Special Operations Unit (SOU), which investigates serious and organised animal crime, subsequently launched an inquiry and traced Hussain. Speaking after the hearing, RSPCA investigator Inspector Rick Maskell said: “Hussain confirmed that he can be seen in the images taken as stills from the video of two cockerels fighting. “He is seated beside the fighting birds and appears to be filming some parts of the fight as well as using his hands to encourage them to continue. He makes no attempts to stop the fight. “When interviewed, he claimed to have no recollection of the fight or the location, and denied ever fighting cockerels.” During the court proceedings, Hussain said he had not appreciated the seriousness of his actions as a spectator. Cockfighting has been illegal in Britain for almost 200 years but continues to occur among some groups, often as a tradition passed down through generations. The practice involves breeding and training cockerels specifically for fighting. During training, birds may wear protective coverings known as muffs over their sharp claws, or spurs. In organised fights, those spurs can be sharpened or fitted with blades or spikes designed to inflict greater injury. According to the RSPCA, fights can last from several minutes to more than an hour, depending on the methods used. Where sharpened spurs are involved, a single wound can prove fatal. Animal welfare organisations have long condemned the practice as cruel, with birds frequently suffering severe injuries or death. The charity said winning birds may be regarded as "champions" after a number of victories, contributing to the continued breeding of fighting bloodlines. The RSPCA said it would continue working with police and other agencies to tackle organised animal fighting and bring those involved before the courts.
Keywords: feature,photo,cockfighting,animals,rspca
PersonInImage: Cockfight occurring in Birmingham in 2023.