Eight farmers from west Wales have pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court to possessing meat unfit for human consumption.

The men admitted slaughtering sheep illegally on the farm of David Jones, at Llanwnnen, near Lampeter, Ceredigion, with the intention of selling it.

The trial was held at Swansea Crown Court

They were arrested as part of a wider investigation into the sale of 'smokies' - which is meat cooked using blow-torches.

This gives it a char-grilled flavour, which is said to be a delicacy among some west African communities in London.

Carcasses heat-treated in this way can change hands for several hundreds of pounds but are not inspected in licensed slaughterhouses.

Health officers fear there could be health problems associated with the meat because of the conditions in which the animals are slaughtered.

The men will be sentenced later this month after the judge said she wanted to see independent evidence of their financial situation.

However, Judge Eleri Rees warned them they should not assume they would receive only a financial penalty.

Joint investigation

David Jones, 54, also admitted failing to ensure the removal of risk material.

The prosecution follows an investigation by environmental health departments of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Swansea along with the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Officers were alerted by reports of sheep being slaughtered illegally - sometimes in sheds and barns -and their wool being burned off with blowtorches.

All eight men had initially denied the offences, but on the eve of their trial they had entered guilty pleas to at least one of the four charges against them.