ANIMAL welfare officers who visited a remote Rossendale farm found a haul of rotting sheep and cattle carcasses.

Burnley Magistrates heard how officers discovered one skeleton of a large beast but couldn't be sure what it was among the decaying bodies. A dog was standing next to one of the carcasses.

Farmer John Brian Askew, a pensioner, 65, of Height Farm, Rooley Moor Road, Stacksteads, was given the maximum 240 hours community punishment and must pay £200 costs.

He admitted three offences of contravening an animal health act or an order made by the Minister of State and one of failing to bury a carcass of cattle in a field accessible to dogs, between March and April 1999.

David Roderick, prosecuting for the Trading Standards Department, said on 25 March 1999 the County Council's Animal Health and Welfare Inspector received a complaint from a member of the public.

In a stream at the bottom of a ravine in Stacksteads, officers found a carcass.

It had Askew's name and Stacksteads on its ear tag. Officers went to the defendant's premises and found 11 sheep or cattle carcasses in various states of decay. Six days later, on April 1, officers returned, carried out a further inspection and found more animal bodies, some partly buried under some tyres.

Mr Roderick said between April 1 and 19, officers went back to the farm several times for follow up visits. One one carcass had been removed. Bill Rawstron, defending, said it was not a case of cruelty or neglect of the defendant's animals and neither was it suggested the carcasses had caused harm to others.

His problems began when things such as BSE had an effect on the market of animals and Askew would not have been able to sell them at any kind of economical price.

In the past 10 years, the defendant's £13,000 savings had dwindled to nothing and the majority had gone on the feeding and care of his animals.

Mr Rawstron told the court when Askew's animals died of entirely natural causes, he was told it would cost him £70 to have each carcass removed and he could not afford it.

Askew managed to cut up some of the carcasses and place them under cover. It was the best he could do at the time, but it wasn't acceptable.