‘Performance-enhancing drugs and knives to inflict damage’ - Blackpool man hit with cockfighting conviction
A total of 27 cockerels were seized from small, unkempt crates.
A 32-year-old Blackpool man has been banned from keeping animals for seven years after being convicted of multiple animal welfare offences linked to an organised cockfighting ring in Lytham.
Henry Beaney, of Bridge House Road, Blackpool, was identified and arrested following an investigation by Fylde Rural Task Force in May 2025. Officers attended a site on West Moss Lane, Lytham, alongside the RSPCA, where they uncovered several makeshift fighting pits. Blood splatters found at the scene were confirmed to be from cockerels.
A total of 27 cockerels were seized from small, unkempt crates. Many had been dubbed for fighting and required medical attention. Police also seized a quantity of supplements and medication used to enhance the birds' performance.
Messages recovered from Beaney's phone referred to the buying and selling of “gaffs” — knives or blades attached to cockerels during fights to inflict further damage.
Earlier this week, Beaney appeared at Preston Magistrates' Court, where he was convicted of multiple counts of failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of animals were met, as well as keeping and training animals for animal fighting.
He was sentenced to an 18-month community order, ordered to complete 140 hours of unpaid work and fined £450. Beaney has also been banned from keeping animals for a period of seven years.