Stephanie BrooksTwo Norfolk animal welfare charities have welcomed the dismissal of an appeal by a horse trader who was convicted of neglecting more than a hundred of horses at his Buckinghamshire farm.Stephanie Brooks

Two Norfolk animal welfare charities have welcomed the dismissal of an appeal by a horse trader who was convicted of neglecting more than a hundred of horses at his Buckinghamshire farm.

James Gray, 46, his wife Julie Gray, 42, and daughters Jodie Gray, 27, and Cordelia Gray, 21, were all unsuccessful in appealing against their convictions for animal welfare offences.

His son James Gray Junior, 17, was acquitted of two charges, but remains convicted of the rest.

Delivering a judgement at Aylesbury Crown Court this morning, Recorder Christopher Tyrer, said: 'We have found that all the appellants were responsible for all these animals and that they knew what was happening on the premises and took no action to alleviate the problems.'

The family was prosecuted after RSPCA inspectors discovered more than 100 horses, ponies and donkeys and the bodies of a further 32 equines at Spindle Farm, near Amersham, in January 2008.

Many of the animals had little food or dry bedding, were crammed into pens and were ankle deep in faeces. Some had simply been left to die where they fell.

Officers from World Horse Welfare in Snetterton and Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Hapton took part in the rescue effort and continue to care for 72 of the horses, ponies and donkeys.

Vet Nicolas de Brauwere, from Redwings, said: 'We are delighted with this result, not to mention incredibly relieved. As events unfolded January 9, 2008, we found more and more evidence of untold suffering that shocked us and compelled us to act.

'We always believed that the evidence would support today's verdict.'

Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare chief executive, said: 'This was simply a horrific case, the worst in UK legal history in which over 30 horses died.

'Thank heavens that after two long years justice has been done and James Gray and his family have had their appeal against their convictions quashed.'