ANIMAL lovers in Worcestershire have offered to help a herd of cows abandoned after their owners were jailed.

Ninety of the cows at Emmadale Farm in Alvechurch have already been culled and the remaining 30 are now being cared for by the RSPCA.

Sue Penney, from Malvern, has offered - with the support of the charities Animal Aid and The Farm Animal's Sanctuary and other members of the public - to care for the cows.

She said: "I take in abandoned horses and I rent a lot of land in Leigh Sinton and Suckley so I can home the cows."

The 51-year-old added that she hoped the RSPCA would look after the animals for the remainder of their lives and not until they are fit to go to slaughter.

But a spokeswoman for Worcestershire Trading Standards said: "The cattle have to remain at their current location because there is not the documentation to transport them.

"We are continuing to monitor the animals with the State Veterinary Service and assess their condition."

More than 200 animals were left to fend for themselves after Lionel, David and Stephen Tonge were jailed in May for non-payment of fines exceeding £100,000 for breaching the Protection of Animals Act in 2003.

Ian Rowat, director of Malvern Hills Conservators, said they had not been approached nor had it offered to take the animals, but he added: "One does not wish to see any animal suffer.

"We would be interested in helping if we could but we would have to be advised first by vets."

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said its inspectors visited Emmadale Farm yesterday.

"The animals are still owned by the Tonges, but are now under the Society's control. RSPCA officers are currently ensuring that their welfare needs are being met on site.

"At the Society's request, a veterinary surgeon has checked the health of the cattle today. None of them is in a suffering state and they do not require any special feed or care regime at present. From now on, the animals will be visited and checked on a daily basis."