THE ten-day clean-up operation at a stables where nearly 40 animals were found dead was wound down yesterday.

Council bosses will have to foot the huge bill, but will try to reclaim the cost from whoever is found to be responsible for what happened to the animals.

A man who was arrested on Tuesday has been released on bail while the RSPCA investigates what happened at the County Durham stables.

The remains of at least 16 horses, 11 birds, seven dogs and a rabbit were found at the run-down property in Trimdon, on Bank Holiday Sunday.

Experts are struggling to provide a definite figure for the number of dead animals because of their state of decomposition.

A rottweiler and two border collies were believed to have survived, either by eating the carcasses or by gnawing into food sacks.

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said: ''We will be compiling a file of all the evidence and then our prosecutions department will make a decision as to whether he will be prosecuted.

''Should we decide to prosecute, the man will be issued with a summons to appear in court.''

Durham Police said the force was leaving the investigation to the RSPCA, which had made an in-depth examination of Bank Top Stables.

Inspector Mark Gent, who discovered the harrowing scene, said: ''When I got there, I smelt a terrible smell and knew there was something wrong. I phoned the local police who attended and we broke in and found quite a shocking sight.

''I have smelt it before, sadly, but you know that smell and I knew instinctively there was something wrong.

''I have never seen anything on this scale before.''

An environmental health team from Sedgefield Borough Council worked with specialist contractors from outside the authority to clear the abandoned stables.

A council spokesman said the Public Health Act of 1936 allowed the authority to claim back the cost of the operation from anyone found to be responsible.

"Due to the specialist nature of the clean-up, the costs have not been finalised, but it is likely to run into thousands," the spokesman said.

"We will be entitled to try to recover the costs from the person responsible, whether there is a prosecution or not."