How many bureaucrats does it take to move a dead sheep?

A Shropshire Councillor has hit out at the time it has taken for agencies charged with the welfare of the public and the environment to remove a single dead sheep from a watercourse near a Shropshire village.

Heather Kidd, Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen, said: "A resident reported this sheep dead in the Rae brook near the village of Worthen on 6 January. It was near a public right of way and polluting the watercourse. I (and she) spent the next 17 days arguing with DEFRA, the Environment Agency and two departments of Shropshire Council about whether is should be removed or not. In the end I got the animal removed by appealing directly to the landowner .

"It was an seemingly endless game of buck passing with a whole range of excuses including health and safety. What they forget is that their primary concern should be the health and safety of the general public.

"Most of us remember the ravages of foot and mouth. In this case I suspect the animal probably drowned, but if it had died of some infections disease it would still be there today as far as many of these departments were concerned irrespective of risk to the public.

"Finally we were helped by Public Health to find the right route for removing the animal. I have now asked the Council to make sure there is an easily found method of reporting dead live stock so that the risks involved in them left lying around are avoided. A quick method of reporting and dealing them is vital!"