I WAS astonished to read last week's letter from Lancaster MP Hilton Dawson claiming that "no BSE infectivity" enters Nightingale Hall Farm.

The farm renders down cattle culled because they are older than 30 months and therefore considered a potential BSE risk. There is no test for BSE in animals not displaying obvious symptoms, but the government's own figures estimate five per cent of these animals are infected.

The respected BSE scientist Dr Stephen Dealler believes under-reporting of cases means the real figure is more like 25 per cent, while last week Swiss scientists raised the frightening possibility that the real infection rate could be 100 times larger than previously thought, since even supposedly healthy cattle who never develop symptoms can still harbour the BSE agent and infect others.

Whichever figure you take, there is no doubt that the farm is tasking in BSE infected cattle. In fact ten per cent of the country's unwanted cattle killed because of BSE are being brought to Lancaster - and now Nightingale Hall Farm wants to bum this noxious waste next to homes and schools!

But that's OK according to Hilton Dawson, who's been reassured by Food Safety minister Jeff Rooker that "no BSE infectivity" is entering the farm. This is the same Jeff Rooker who is to decide whether to burn this BSE waste in incinerators at rendering plants (like the farm) or power stations.

I wonder why he's so keen to allay our fears about BSE! More to the point, why on earth does our MP believe him in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary?

Whose side are you on, Hilton, the government's or the people of Lancaster?

When are you going to tell your friend Mr Rooker that there IS BSE going into the farm, that it's potentially dangerous and that there's no way are going to stand back and let BSE waste be burnt in Lancaster?

Power stations are the only option - but do you have the nerve to lobby the government and tell them so?

C Daniels

Green Street

Lancaster

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