Animal carcasses were discovered dumped in a public area close to shore in Pembroke on Monday, a scene the local council described as “disgusting”.

Residents walking in the area reported the carcasses to the local council, which took immediate action to have them removed. In fact, the Cleansing Department took them away on Tuesday.

“The area where they were dumped is protected. The scene was hard to believe,” a local council spokeswoman said.

The Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Rights said several laws had been breached but the culprits were hard to identify because the animals were not tagged.

“Since these animals are untagged, the Veterinary Services cannot identify the individual who disposed of the carcasses and/or the livestock farm of origin. Only the police have the executive power to make further investigations, possibly through the monitoring of CCTV footage, among other means.”

In line with EU regulations, such carcasses should be disposed of via incineration at the thermal treatment facility in Marsa. The law also states that all bovines have to be individually identified via a tag on both ears and registered with the Veterinary Regulation Directorate.

“The dumped bovine carcasses do not pose a risk to the public unless there is direct and unprotected contact with the carcasses. However, unless removed immediately, the carcasses may attract vermin/pests and cause an inconvenience to the public due to the putrid smell,” the Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Rights said.