A LEADING beef exporter crippled by the Mad Cow Disease crisis has revealed that half-a-million pounds worth of its meat is marooned around the world.

And furious bosses at award-winning Great Harwood Food Products have blasted the Government for failing to come to their aid.

More than 250 tonnes of their meat supplies, worth £500,000, have become stranded in worldwide ports since a blanket ban on British beef export was introduced in the wake of the recent BSE catastrophe.

Shareholder directors John and Thomas Slinger now fear the future of their company and its 220 workers could be at risk unless the Government puts together a financial rescue package.

They said redundancies had only been avoided because staff were using up their holiday entitlements.

The Slingers, whose firm scooped a Queen's Export Award three years ago, were at Westminster yesterday along with fellow industry members to urge the Government to pledge more support for the beleaguered abattoir sector. Earlier, they also took part in a publicity stunt when meat traders from across the UK gave away piles of prime steak in what was seen as a massive vote of confidence in British beef.

Today the firm disclosed that the 250 tonnes of "finest quality" meat was stranded on ships and in ports worldwide.

Some of the meat was marooned as far afield as South Africa and Mauritius.

John Slinger said: "I am very disappointed that what we worked so hard for and were recognised for in 1993, is not being recognised now.

"If the Government does not help us it will be very dire, but we won't lie down and die. We have invested a lot in this business and the people who work for us."

John Sayer, group accountant of the Balfour Street company which manufactures mechanically recovered meat, said: "We believe that the Government's inappropriate handling of the BSE crisis was the primary cause of the export ban.

"As a result we feel that we should be given some help."

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