THE Ministry of Agriculture last night apologised to villagers forced to live with piles of rotting carcasses near their homes for five days.

Maff officials moved quickly to bring about an end to the misery of frustrated residents in Danby Wiske, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

Foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in sheep in the village last Tuesday, immediately prompting Maff to order the slaughter of that herd and others nearby, which were considered to be "dangerous contacts".

But a major delay in forming and lighting the pyres needed for mass incineration of the corpses has left a foul stench of death and disaster hanging over the village.

It is also and forcing some residents to consider moving out.

Yesterday, as Maff confirmed that two pyres had been constructed and were ready to be lit, the rain-lashed lanes of Danby Wiske were empty.

Huge pyres have now been built at Hunter's Hill Farm and another in the village and burning is expected to start today.

But farmers who have been forced to sacrifice livestock herds they have been building up for decades say the crisis is spiralling out of control.

John Wilkin, of West Farm, said: "They slaughtered one herd of cattle which were condemned but the process is still going on five days later.

"Those cattle have been led through Danby Wiske in a decomposed rotten state and put up on a pile, but there are going to be 1,000 animals in a big solid pile and I think it will be amazing if it will burn.

He added: "It is an absolute shambles - then you see Tony Blair on the television saying this is all under control."

At one stage last week, hundreds of dead animals were piled up about 100 yards from housing.

But a Maff spokeswoman said last night: "We are moving as quickly as we can with this.

"It is an unfortunate and unpleasant situation for the people living there but those carcasses are being disposed of so they cannot spread it further. We could not take the risk of having further disease in the village."

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