The lawyers of a farmer facing drug trafficking charges this morning filed another judicial protest holding the prison authorities responsible for the death of his livestock.

Jose Herrera and Veronique Dalli filed the protest on behalf of their client Angelo Bilocca, 34, from Siġġiewi.

When the court remanded Mr Bilocca in custody, it had recommended that he was to be taken to feed his animals at his two farms but the prison authorities had stopped him from doing so.

Dr Herrera and Dr Dalli had filed a judicial protest on Monday claiming that 280 chickens, three pigs and 17 rabbits had died.

In the protest they filed this morning, they said another 480 cocks had died.

Mr Bilocca is presently in prison after having been remanded when he pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to traffic one kilogramme of cocaine.

He said there was no reason to deny him permission to be taken to the farms under escort to take care of the animals and held the prison authorities responsible for the damage he suffered.