Thousands of animals will be spared long journeys to be slaughtered under plans for the first modern mobile abattoir, which will tour farms and help to protect supplies of locally reared meat.

A third of small abattoirs have closed in the past decade, leaving 62 in the UK. The demise of such facilities, which run on tiny profit margins due to increased food safety and animal welfare regulations, is undermining efforts to meet demand for locally sourced food, including from farm shops and butchers.