ANIMAL body parts, guts, offal and blood could be delivered to and burned in Hapton if a planning application is approved.

Enviro Skips, which already has a domestic, commercial and industrial waste transfer station at Hapton Valley Colliery has applied to add an animal waste incinerator to its premises.

According to the company's environmental statement which accompanied a statement to Lancashire County Council the incinerator would be used for abbatoir waste rather than whole animals and would exclude "BSE-producing agents".

It would instead include body parts, guts, offal and blood.

The statement says the incinerator would operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week with deliveries being carried out 12 hours a day.

Hapton Labour councillors Andrew Tatchell and John Harbour prepared a petition opposing the proposal as soon as news of the plans was announced.

Residents of Valley Gardens, the nearest homes to the former colliery, have received consultation forms on the venture.

Coun Tatchell said: "At the moment the effect of such a plant is an unknown quantity but you worry about all the things it might well bring.

"I went round Valley Gardens and most of them have signed a petition to object.

"We've put petitions in public houses, shops and post offices so people can raise their objections.

"We hope to get 800 signatures and we're trying to find out whether this plant has been turned down somewhere else and passed on to us."

Hapton Parish Council chairman Joan Lakeland said she could not state a full opinion of the plans until she had more information and until after it had been discussed at the parish council meeting on May 14.

But she added: "It's going to be upsetting for people living on Valley Gardens.

"We want to speak to experts and find out what they are burning and look into the traffic it would create."

Burnley and Padiham county councillor Marcus Johnstone, who is also backing opposition to the incinerator, said: "I fail to see why abbatoirs have to come to Hapton when there are already existing facilties in Widnes and Lancaster. Widnes is only a 40-minute drive away.

"I think it's important the community opposes this. If we all work together, let's see if we can get this turned down."

The company was unavailable to comment.