FOOT and mouth epidemic cull victims could be dumped within a mile of one of Britain's top dairy herds.

Shocked farmer Ian Patrick admitted he was not pleased to hear the Whitehead tip at Astley -- which is less than a mile as the crow flies from his Garrett Hall herd at Tyldesley -- was on stand-by to accept animal carcasses for burial.

"It's under a mile from here, we haven't been told about this and I wouldn't be totally happy with it. I don't think carcasses should be tipped and buried alongside other waste, it should be done at a site which has been specially prepared for that purpose," said Mr Patrick, stunned by the news.

But beef cattle breeder John Kirkham of Morleys Hall Farm, at Astley, said he was more concerned about the general traffic which used the road to the Astley landfill site.

Mr Kirkham added: "There's nothing I can do. I've never left the farm except to nip across to the Cart and Horses occasionally. On the face of it having carcasses tipped here is probably something we would sooner didn't happen. But if there was any doubt about the safety of using the tip site at Astley I am sure the authorities wouldn't allow it. If carcasses pass through here they would be in air sealed containers and steamed out after the carcasses were dumped.

"All Government procedure would be followed so I suppose these loads are as safe as possible.

"Yet every day wagons pass within 50 yards of my farm which come from all parts of the country. The foot and mouth virus is a kind of flu' -- it travels on the air."

This week members of Astley Green Village Committee met Viridor delegates to discuss concerns about the landfill operation.

Committee secretary Ingrid Berry, who chaired Tuesday night's meeting, said: "For an hour and a half Viridor listened to our concerns about problems. Then when we raised the question about the tip being used for foot and mouth carcases they handed out prepared statements. Our concern is if there are problems when normal rubbish is being tipped how will they cope with specialised disposal?"

Viridor spokesman Dan Cooke said: "We are aware of the concerns in the community and are working to assist the Government and farmers to ensure swift, safe and efficient disposal of these materials.

"All the operations are being controlled in line with strict protocol which has been set down by MAFF, the Environment Agency, Army, Government and waste industry.

"And that protocol ensures full precautions and controls through loading, transport to disposal and we have received assurances from MAFF that risks are so minimal as to be insignificant. We are working hard to provide a sensible solution."

Astley Green residents have held regular meetings to voice their concerns over the land fill site at Whitehead and the Environment Agency imposed an Enforcement Notice on the company in a bid to get rid of a persistent odour which locals say is methane.

Mr Cooke added: "There have been a couple of incidents with an odour, but it is not methane because methane does not smell.

"It was the severe weather and heavy rain over the last few months which caused problems with the gas extraction system.

"But we have now made improvements and reduced the risk of an odour recurrence.

"We have attended residents' meetings and explained what is going on to them."

lA BAN on pigeon flying was lifted last Friday. Tyldesley enthusiast Gary Corbett told the Journal: "We've had to fly our birds just around the lofts and the young birds would have been useless if the restrictions had continued. We would have had to have another cull.

"Now we have the problem of trying to find areas to fly from which are unaffected by foot and mouth."