A COMPANY cleared by magistrates after frozen pigs’ tongues past their use-by date were found at its Cwmbran factory faces prosecution after a High Court test case.

Torfaen council challenged a decision by magistrates in Newport to throw out its 31- charge prosecution of Douglas Willis Limited, brought under food labelling laws after trading standards officers found expired use-by dates on the food packaging.

Magistrates ruled the company had no case to answer last September, accepting its plea that use-by dates were unnecessary as the food was not highly perishable.

High Court judges, however, yesterday ruled the magistrates had “erred in their approach in law” and sent the case back for re-hearing by a different panel.

Lord Justice Aikens emphasised that neither the council, nor the company had won, and the final decision is back with the magistrates’ court.