ST HELENS Council's Environmental Health Officers are investigating how 400 pigs feet and legs came to be dumped in a field near School Lane, Rainhill sparking a Mad Cow Disease scare.

Initially, the complaint referred to the remains as coming from cattle but further investigations by EHOs on visiting the site, showed they were the lower legs and feet of pigs. They were removed by the council immediately.

Chief Environmental Health Officer, Steve Massey said: "When the caller phoned us he thought the remains were of cattle and was concerned about the possible BSE risk. However, such remains are not associated with possible BSE transmission."

Meanwhile, the council has informed the Meat Hygiene Service together with environmental health colleagues in neighbouring local authorities who are making further inquiries.

"It is possible that a contractor employed to collect offal from slaughterhouses and meat plants could be dumping the remains to avoid paying the necessary disposal charges.

The practice is illegal and can be prejudicial to health, and if offenders are caught, they will be prosecuted,"added Mr Massey.

Deputy leader of St Helens Council, Mike Doyle said: "People discovered carrying out such illegal dumping will be prosecuted. I have instructed our EHOs to investigate the incident.

"Unfortunately, this has happened before and I am extremely concerned that with the increasing costs of offal disposal, this could be seen as a way of getting rid of animal waste.

"With all the scares about BSE and other diseases, this is something we will be monitoring closely - and taking an extremely hard line on."

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