Throckmorton Leaking! (see Annanova)

Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
Investigation urged into 'leaking' foot-and-mouth pit

An urgent inquiry into suggestions that one of Britain's biggest foot-and-mouth burial pits may be leaking has been demanded by a local MP.

Tory Peter Luff says a contractor who helped build the Throckmorton pit in his Mid-Worcestershire constituency told him it was not prepared properly.

Now people living nearby have been struck down by sore throats, he told BBC Radio 4's Farming Today programme.

"I have heard from one of the contractors involved in actually digging out the cells and he believes that the preventative measures that were planned were not put in place properly," Mr Luff said.

"It should make people very alarmed and I do hope the Government is going to look at this very seriously."

The Throckmorton pit is close to the site where the Government wants to build a centre for asylum seekers – a plan opposed by Mr Luff.

"There may be serious environmental and health issues which will also have to be looked at in the environmental impact assessment. I think that will make very interesting reading," he added.

The Government has already had to deal with material leaking from burial pits dug to take foot-and-mouth carcasses, according to Farming Today.

Matter from the Great Orton pit in Cumbria was taken away in tankers and pumped into the Irish Sea for more than six months last year, it said.

The situation only came to light because of parliamentary questions tabled by the SDLP MP for South Down Eddie McGrady. The Government told Farming Today there was no risk from the material because it was treated before being pumped into the sea.