Four dogs, four cats, a kitten and a parrot were discovered living in disgusting conditions at the home of Sheila Hocking when the RSPCA and police executed a search warrant issued by magistrates.

Mrs Hocking, 64, her daughter Rosetta Hocking, 25, and son Richard Hocking, 28, deny the 29 charges of animal cruelty brought against each of them by the RSPCA.

The charges - which are the same for each defendant, all of New Road - date from between July 1 and August 1 last year.

They include causing unnecessary suffering to a spaniel, two Jack Russell terrier puppies, an Amazonian parrot, a collie dog, four cats and a kitten and keeping the animals in an unsuitable environment.

The three are also charged with not ensuring the animals were protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

Seven other charges relate to three horses and two ponies kept by the Hockings at stables at Blackstone Lane, Henfield.

But Sheila and Rosetta Hocking both denied that the animals were suffering or ill-treated when they were cross-examined during the trial on Friday (April 25) by RSPCA prosecutor David Buck.

They said they were well cared for, fed and watered twice a day. The dogs were walked everyday and the horses were groomed, fed and their stables mucked out twice a day.

When Mr Buck asked Mrs Hocking why the stables and land used to keep the horses on was in such a state, with rubbish, disused equipment and piles of manure around, she said "someone" had made it look like that.

She also claimed that injuries suffered by the horses were inflicted by intruders and refuted Mr Buck's claim that they had been injured by the debris lying around the site.

The trial has been adjourned until May 9.

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