ANGRY protestors say the Army has broken its promises over safeguards at a mass burial pit within hours of the site opening for business.

The first truck loaded with slaughtered livestock arrived at the opencast site at Inkerman Road, near Tow Law, County Durham, at 6.45pm yesterday - hours after villagers were promised by officials that no wagons would be allowed entry after 6pm.

Resident Jean White was among a group given reassurances by the Army, yesterday morning.

She said: "This is the first day and already they have gone back on their word. They are telling us one thing and then doing something else."

Mrs White, fellow protestors, local councillors and members of the media were shown around the site before it was opened to take foot-and- mouth carcasses, yesterday afternoon.

A demonstration was given by the Army on how the wagons were sealed - which provoked controversy at the Northumberland burial site at Widdrington - before transporting the bodies of the animals from farms to the site.

Mrs White said: "They showed us the seal was safe and we were happy with that."

A Maff spokesperson agreed that, technically, it had gone back on its word - but the decision to do so was made "in exceptional circumstances".

He said: "The wagon was supposed to be there before six o'clock but for some reason it was delayed.

"A Maff official decided from a risk point of view that it would be safer to let it on site rather than either send it back or leave it on the side of the road."

The wagon was left on a hard standing on the site overnight in such a way that there would be no safety problems. It is due to be unloaded into an open pit first thing this morning.

Mrs White said: "The wagons need to be leaving farms in time to get them to this site before 6 o'clock, as promised. Now, we feel that we can't trust them."

Meanwhile, the Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre, said that no animals had been delivered to the equally controversial Northumberland burial site at Widdrington.

Protestors have blockaded the access to the site since the weekend but desliveries lorry-loads of animal carcasses are expected to resume there today.