Officers from the Directorate of Animal Welfare today found over 300 chickens, roosters, pigeons, rabbits and 33 parrots in substandard conditions during an enforcement action by the Planning Authority at Mriehel.

The animals were found as the PA moved in to demolish  factory that was illegally built in the 1980s.

The building is situated in an ODZ area of Mriehel along Mdina road

As soon as the officers entered the property they found that it was being used as some kind of farm.

The Animal Welfare Directorate said it will be keeping the animals temporarily in order to provide care and treatment.

It was stressed that there are no plans to put any of the animals to sleep. 

As soon as the animals were removed from the site the demolition works started, with PA enforcement officers removing stone structures, animal enclosures and solar panels.

However, the works had to grind to a halt after the court upheld an application by the owner of the site, Philip Borg, for the works to be stopped, and issued an injuction.