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Many small local abattoirs have been shutting down in the last decade, It's hard to pin down a precise number, but the government has announced it is setting up a £4 million small abattoir fund to ensure more don’t go out of business. These small local abattoirs play a vital link in the supply chain for farmers who want to slaughter their livestock locally and sell the meat themselves either from the farm or at farmers markets. We hear from the Royal Countryside Fund which has campaigned to save them, and also an abattoir owner who welcomes the money, but says it won't be enough to stop more from closing.

Sheep used to be a common sight on Hampstead Heath in London before grazing was phased out in the 1940s and 1950s. Now, the City of London Corporation has teamed up with community groups to bring them back, as part of a week-long trial. A small flock of five rare breed ‘Norfolk Horn’ and ‘Oxford Down’ ewes are grazing an area in the north-west of the heath.

Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney