CONCERNS have been raised by campaigners over plans to burn animal fat from cattle slaughtered at the height of the BSE crisis.

The Environment Agency is investigating an application by Singapore-owned SembCorp to burn the tallow at its power station at Wilton, near Redcar, to create electricity.

Community group Concerned Parents about BSE, based in Dover, Kent, is worried about the impact it will have on nearby residents.

Spokesman Kevin Manning said: "I am concerned about BSE and its potentially devastating effect on the health of children. I am therefore dismayed that SembCorp intends to burn the tallow at their Wilton Plant, and concerned that the filtration methods the company intends to use may not be adequate."

The public consultation period for the scheme comes to an end on Friday and the Environment Agency will make a decision in six to eight weeks time.

David Tarttelin, regulatory officer for the agency, who will decide whether the scheme can go ahead, has spoken to residents in the areas closest to the site in Dormanstown, Grangetown, Eston and Redcar, some of whom live within 1km of the plant.

He said: "SembCorp believes that the risk posed to health from this plant is negligible but it is our job to check the environmental risks.

"If we believe that the risk from this scheme is too great then we will ask SembCorp to modify their plans."

He said that the cattle were unlikely to be infected with BSE and that tallow was less likely to be infected with BSE than meat and bonemeal but he could not be sure it did not contain the solid body parts.

"We may ask the company to improve filtration methods if it is seen to be necessary," he said.