THE owner of a knacker's yard, who plans to build the first two animal incinerators in the region, has said that he will not burn any slaughtered foot-and-mouth livestock.

John Warren, who slaughters worn-out animals at his business at Eden Hall, in Hamsterley, County Dur-ham, has denied claims that the crematorium will be used to destroy diseased livestock.

He plans to build the incinerators on the site of his knacker's yard, which has been at Eden Hall for the past 70 years. He has decided to speak out to allay any fears from nearby residents about smells, pollution and traffic increases.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Warren said: "It won't be smelly, there will actually be a reduction in traffic, and I want to make it clear that we will not be burning any animals slaughtered because of foot-and-mouth.

"We will only be destroying fallen animals, and this is something that the farming community around here really needs."

At present, any animals slaughtered at the knacker's yard have to be taken all the way to Dumfries to be destroyed, and the site would provide the only animal incinerators in the North-East.

Mr Warren added: "People won't even notice the incinerators are here, and anyone who is worried that we'll be carting truck loads of diseased animals through their village can rest assured."

Read more about foot-and-mouth here.