A factory worker has been banned from owning animals for two years after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to cattle he owned by failing to ensure they had enough drinking water.

Kenneth Plumb, 53, cannot own cattle, sheep or pigs, but can have domestic pets.

On December 13, Bicester magistrates also ordered him to do 200 hours of community service and pay £1,500 court costs. They delayed the ban until February 1 to give him time to dispose of the cattle.

Plumb, of Manor Road, Banbury, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three charges of causing unnecessary suffering to animals, and asked for a similar charge to be taken into consideration.

Louise Worton, prosecuting, told the court Plumb kept about 90 cattle at Glebelands, Adderbury.

Miss Worton said: "When inspectors first called on his cattle, they found one was in a poor state and was in a pen separate from the others. It was removed and later died. Inspectors also noticed there was no water in troughs for the other cattle. When Inspectors called on further days they still found the cattle had no water in troughs. When water was provided the cattle drank furiously."

Julia Moffatt, defending, said Plumb had earlier in his life been a full time cattle stockman. He now worked shifts at a cardboard making factory and had visited his cattle before and after his shifts to ensure they had water. She added that stopcocks on the two water troughs had been damaged so there was not a constant water supply. Plumb had ordered a new trough, but there had been delays in supplying it.