ABATTOIRS across East Lancashire have escaped a slaughtering in a national hygiene inspection.

Companies were given scores out of 100 based on hygiene levels and the risk to fresh meat.

Great Harwood Food Products, part of the Slinger Group, came out top in East Lancashire with a score of 92, while B Riley and Sons, of Dunnockshaw, had the lowest local score of 62.

Other East Lancashire firms scored:

Wholesale Meat Supply, Blackburn: 80.

Wiswell Moor Meats, Whalley: 68.

Woodhead Brothers, Colne: 74.

Rossendale Wholesale Meat: 66.

Wholesale Meat Supply, Blackburn: 67.

Cranswick County Foods, Waterfoot: 81.

Great Harwood Food Products: 92.

Rose County Foods, Sawley: 76.

Royle Meats, Burnley: 70.

John Sayer, commercial director of Great Harwood Food Products, said: "We are delighted, but it has been achieved through a lot of hard work and teamwork.

"After the battering the meat industry has had with the BSE crisis and E-coli, this is welcome news.

"The biggest battle has been to try and restore public confidence and hopefully this will help us."

More than 1,300 abattoirs and cutting plants in the UK were inspected with the results being made public for the first time. The move is intended to drive up standards by allowing retailers and consumers to see the best and worst performers in the business.

A Hygiene Assessment System (HAS) was used by the Meat Hygiene Service to mark the overall performance of meat plants every month.

The system assessed the risk of fresh meat arising from slaughtered livestock, the staff working in the plant and the premises themselves.

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