SUFFOLK farmer Edward Howard is facing jail after admitting an appalling catalogue of animal abuse.Trading standards officers found Howard's Rendlesham farm littered with sheep carcasses when they inspected early in 2001.

A SUFFOLK farmer faces jail after admitting a catalogue of animal abuse.

Trading standards officers found Edward Howard's Rendlesham farm littered with sheep carcasses when they inspected early in 2001.

And magistrates are set to be shown a grizzly video of the Bentwaters Airfield farm before sentence is passed.

Howard, 52, of Churnwood Road, Colchester, admitted 15 charges of failing to care for his flock and a further three of failing to dispose of carcasses.

Sheep lucky enough to survive the farmer's callous cruelty were found starving and dying of thirst when inspectors visited the landholding over a six week period in February and March, 2001.

Among the appalling litany of charges against the Suffolk farmer were failing to provide adequate water and feed for his sheep.

Howard, formerly of Ivy Lodge Road, Campsea Ashe, also admitted failing to protect the flock against the weather, not providing proper vet treatment and ignoring notices issued by inspectors.

Alexia Durran, prosecuting on behalf of Suffolk County Council at South-East Suffolk Magistrates Court, said a full listing of the gruesome evidence would be time-consuming and complicated.

She urged magistrates to call for a pre-sentence report to enable them to deal with the full weight of evidence more effectively.

Magistrates agreed and ordered Howard to appear before them again on March 5.

He was given unconditional bail, but warned the report to be compiled against him should not rule out any available sentence.