A man who slaughtered two sheep for a family celebratory feast has pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the animals.

Suhayl Ali, of East Park Road, Blackburn, admitted killing the animals using a knife without stunning the sheep or having the necessary knowledge or skill to perform the task.

The town’s magistrates' court heard he had purchased the animals for £180 from a man he had previously met in sandwich shop, who he believed to be a farmer, last August.

The court was told that Ali, who was born and raised in Blackburn, was put under pressure by his Pakistani family to slaughter the sheep when his nephew was born, as part of an Islamic tradition called Aqiqah.

The ritual involves the sacrifice of an animal when a child is born in the family, where one lamb is slaughtered for a girl and two for a boy.

Prosecutor Jack Henriques said the sheep had been slaughtered at Ali’s home, not in an approved way, and the case was very much linked with animal cruelty.

Ali’s representative said: “My client was put under some pressure from his parents and brother to carry out the slaughtering for a feast following the birth of his brother’s son.

“This would usually be carried out in Pakistan, where his family are from, and my client had no idea that this was not allowed in the UK.

“He is deeply ashamed to have been sat in the courtroom, and had he known that it was not allowed, he would not have done it.

“He was doing this for a celebratory feast as part of his culture, not for profit or sport, or anything of that nature.

“He is a good man who cares for both his parents, who are both in poor health, and his wife and children. This will not happen again.”

The chairman of the magistrates said: “We do believe this man was put under some pressure but has intentionally caused harm to both the animals and the environment.

“Taking into account that he had no previous convictions, we have decided to issue an £800 fine for causing unnecessary suffering to the animals, not stunning them, killing without an approved method and not removing specified risk materials.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council is currently holding the carcases in a fridge, and prosecutor Jack Henriques said he was keen to find out who the sheep belonged to.

He said: “We would like any farmer who believes the sheep may have belonged to them to come forward, as we have no way of knowing where they have come from.”