THE Ribble Valley's only privately owned abattoir is the latest casualty of the foot and mouth crisis.

Butcher and owner Ian Heywood had planned to launch a mail order and internet service, Ribblevale Meat and Poultry, from his abattoir in Wiswell.

It employed three staff and carried out work for local farmers and butchers, as well as supplying meat for his own butcher's shop, Heywoods, in Whalley Road, Wilpshire.

But now the Wiswell business is shut, and the internet plans shelved, as a direct consequence of the area's foot and mouth "protection zone" status and the lack of local animals being slaughtered.

Mr Heywood said: "We have the butcher's shop in Wilpshire and were about to launch the mail order and internet ventures.

"We were very much looking forward to launching a successful internet business, with the creation of a Ribblevale website, which was being developed with assistance from Business Link.

"There would have been new jobs created and extra demand for locally produced meat products."

Mr Heywood added: "It is now all about survival. Business Link has been helping us re-formulate our business and marketing plans to take account of the current crisis.

"We are still planning to launch Ribblevale on the internet, but in the short term it will be selling produce sourced from other areas."

A spokesperson for Business Link said: "We have set up a rural business recovery programme to help local businesses suffering as a result of the foot and mouth epidemic. Heywood Butchers is one of the local businesses we are helping."

Details of Business Link grants or the Rural Business Recovery programme, on 0800 696696 (calls free).