North's pyre site dispute settled

A stand-off between Department of Agriculture officials in Northern Ireland and residents opposing attempts to exhume and burn buried sheep carcasses has been resolved, it was disclosed today.

Officials who dug up the animals’ remains at a site in Coagh, Co Tyrone amid fears they had been secretly buried after showing signs of the disease were last night prevented from setting them alight.

Locals blocked efforts to destroy the five sheep, a cow and calf in the area of one of Northern Ireland’s four confirmed outbreaks of foot-and-mouth because of the risk of dioxins.

But a Department of Agriculture spokesman today said the situation had now been resolved to the satisfaction of those who had expressed concerns.

‘‘We are disposing of them today and they won’t be burnt in the area where residents were opposed to,’’ he said.

Samples have already been taken from the buried carcasses and sent to the testing laboratory at Pirbright in Surrey.

Meanwhile the province was still bracing itself for results on a suspect foot-and-mouth case involving sheep at Ballintoy, Co Antrim.

Efforts to crack down on rogue farmers and livestock dealers whose illegal movement of animals is suspected of spreading the disease in Northern Ireland have so far led to 19 arrests.

Agriculture minister Brid Rodgers yesterday also confirmed that Royal Ulster Constabulary patrols had led to a further six interceptions over the weekend.