12. It is an offence to remove the spinal cord or any part of it from a sheep or goat aged over 12 months at slaughter or that had one or more permanent incisors erupted through the gum (other than for the purposes of veterinary or scientific examination) except by—
(a)longitudinally splitting the whole vertebral column; or
(b)removing a longitudinal section of the whole vertebral column including the spinal cord.