ENVIRONMENTAL health officers from West Devon have been called in to help oversee the disposal of carcasses in the borough — to allay growing worries about public health.

New guidelines have been brought in by the Government to combat the increasing concerns over the backlog and disposal of foot and mouth carcasses.

The matter is of particular concern in West Devon — one of the worst hit areas in the country, with 70 confirmed cases of the disease.

Environment officers will now help determine suitable sites for pyres and burial grounds in the borough.

Council spokesperson Alison Stoneham said: 'It must be stressed that the council will not be the sole arbiter in the site planning process. Other bodies, including the Environment Agency, Army and MAFF contractors, will also take the final decision.'

She said the Department of Health guidelines concluded that the highest risk to health was leaving carcasses decomposing, though it was recognised there was insufficient capacity to render and incinerate the current backlog.

'Many carcasses have already been dead for too long to make easy removal a practical option,' she said. 'Hence incineration on-site or in the immediate locality is necessary.

'MAFF has said it will try to ensure that most disposal is done through small and medium-sized pyres, rather than large pyres, but there will have to be occasions when large pyres are the only available mechanism for dealing with the current backlog.'

Ms Stoneham said pyres would inevitably affect some isolated homesteads and hamlets, but every effort was being made to avoid building them in close proximity to communities and account was taken of wind direction.

Nick Payne, the council's head of environmental services, said only one site, on the outskirts of Okehampton, had given cause for concern and alternative arrangements for carcass disposal were made.

'We are pleased with these new arrangements and are now well placed to assist in the forward planning of pyre sites in West Devon,' he said.