A farmer and Elvis impersonator has been jailed for a catalogue of cruelty to animals described by inspectors as among the worst they had seen.

Harry Sutcliffe, 53, admitted leaving dead piglets in sacks and animals covered in faeces during a period of “prolonged neglect”.

Other surviving animals were left without water, Bradford Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday.

In all, Sutcliffe – who dresses up as Elvis and James Bond to drive customers using his limousine-hire business – admitted 23 charges of animal cruelty at his farm in Bingley Road, Cullingworth.

Inspector Davina Gray, of Defra’s animal health agency, said this was one of the worst scenes she had inspected, said Emma Downing, prosecuting for Bradford Council.

The Council’s senior animal welfare officer, Andrew Measey, agreed, said Miss Downing.

“When Mr Measey attended, he noticed that the pigs were very thin, and the size of the sows’ litters was significantly below what would be expected,” she said. “The number of dead pigs found was indicative of long-term neglect.”

The animals’ medicine was also found to be well out-of-date, she added. Council welfare officers had visited Sutcliffe between 2004 and 2007 but he had been “combative and aggressive,” said Miss Downing.

He was convicted of criminal damage by Keighley Magistrates on January 15, 2008, after admitting spraying manure into Mr Measey’s Audi when the welfare officer visited.

Sutcliffe, who has debts totalling about £300,000, threatened to spray Barclays Bank with manure in a separate protest, which stemmed from a long-running dispute.

“He threatened to fire his muck-spreader, which was heavily laden, at the bank,” said his solicitor Keith Blackwell.

Sutcliffe has also breached two community orders imposed in a bid to encourage him to co-operate with the Council.

Mr Blackwell said Sutcliffe was now co-operating with the authorities and urged District Judge Susan Bouch not to jail him.

Jailing Sutcliffe for 14 weeks, the judge said he would serve half his sentence before being released into the community.

The farmer, who has 70 cows at his farm, was banned from keeping any animals for five years.

After the case, David Clapham, principal environmental health manager, said: “The sentence of the court reflects the severity of offences committed by Mr Sutcliffe in relation to animal cruelty and the totally inadequate welfare on his farm.”