A PET food company which has been at the centre of a smells row is facing possible closure.

Dugdale Davies Ltd, on Shadsworth industrial estate, Blackburn, has gone into administration, and is now for sale.

The firm, dating back to 1924, has been caught up in contro-versy in recent years after neighbours reported smells and bones being left in a yard during the height of the foot and mouth crisis.

In 2004 the council stepped in, gaining a court order to force the firm to clean up its act.

But last year bosses at the company, which boasts a turnover over about £1.5million processing products including pigs ears and tripe, installed an odour control system to solve the problem.

But now North West based administrators DTE Leonard Curtis have taken over the firm. The administrators have also put the company, which is currently still operating, up for sale, and are hoping to sell it as a business to save its 21 jobs.

But if nobody comes forward to buy the business, it could be sold to dispose of its assets, the administrators said.

Coun Tony Humphrys, Shadsworth ward representative on Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "It has had problems in the past and has caused some concern for residents. I would be sorry if this meant job losses but at the end of the day you have to think about the health of the people who live around that area.

"If it is also for sale I would be pleased about that as long as they do keep in consultation with the council to try and get rid of any problems which they might have. I haven't had any complaints from residents since that order was issued by the court.

"As I understand it they were given time to rectify the problems and to be quite honest I haven't heard of any complaints since then."

The Administration Order was made on March 10 at the Manchester District Registry

Today nobody at the company was available for comment, and staff said they were unaware of the situation. Nobody at the administrators was available to comment.