GOVERNMENT officials forced a Lancaster animal rendering company to cut corners when disposing of thousands of dead livestock, a court has heard.

The former boss of Fats and Proteins (UK) Ltd told a jury at Carlisle Crown Court that his firm was forced to break the rules during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Edwin Metcalfe, managing director in May 2001, said the Intervention Board took responsibility for his factory out of his hands during the epidemic.

"My view was that they took over the actual site and the control of it," he said in evidence during the third week of the trial of Fats & Proteins (UK) Ltd.

The company has pleaded not guilty to breaking one of the terms of its operating licence by allowing foul smells to escape from the plant at Nightingale Hall Farm in Quernmore Road in May 2001.

Fats & Proteins (UK) barrister Mr Todd QC told the jury: "The company was no longer master in its own house. Odour control was being sacrificed."

The plant's staff were even instructed to speed up the process by increasing levels of acidity in a biological filter, even though they knew would result in more smells, Mr Todd said.

Lancaster City Council, prosecuting, says the firm allowed sickening, disgusting and nauseous' smells to escape during one week in May 2001.

During that week, the court has heard, a special phone line set up by the council was deluged by people complaining about the smell coming from the factory, where animal car-cases are crushed and cooked.

But Mr Metcalfe told the jury normal business practice did not apply during that time.

He said MAFF and the Meat and Livestock Commission had issued him with processing parameters' designed to get rid of a huge backlog of animal carcases, some of which had been dug up after being buried in Cumbria.

"Did you regard it as a normal commercial agreement?" asked defence counsel Rex Tedd QC.

"Definitely not," Mr Metcalfe replied.

Mr Metcalfe said that "in peacetime", people sending carcases for rendering had no say in how the plant was run.

But during foot and mouth, The Intervention Board stipulated exactly what should be done.

He said his company had no right to refuse foot and mouth material being brought in, even though the state of it was "appalling, rotting and tumbling to pieces."

The trial continues.