FURIOUS villagers are objecting to plans to build a giant hen farm in Croft, amid fears it could increase the threat of bird flu.

A 200-signature petition has been presented to planners and leaflets objecting to the 23-acre farm, which could see 9,000 hens roam free, distributed in the village.

"You would think the Bernard Matthews outbreak would put most people off," said Gwyneth Parry, a member of Croft Parish Council, which has voiced its concerns to the borough council.

"Croft just isn't suitable for this kind of thing."

The plans for the Organic free-range egg production unit' include a 100-metre shed and three feeding towers built on farmland in Springfield Lane.

Dozens of angry residents have contacted the Warrington Guardian to explain why they are against it. They fear: l Increased traffic caused by 40ft, 17-tonne delivery trucks hammering down narrow lanes l The noise and smell of 9,000 hens producing up to 350 tonnes of waste per year l The attraction of vermin and the problems of drainage and sanitation l The visual impact of what some have described as being of an industrial scale' l And the free-range hens coming into contact with wildfowl potentially carrying the bird flu virus "A fence might keep foxes out but not wild birds," said Lawrence Sayers, of nearby Brow Road.

"My main concern is avian flu. The Bernard Matthews outbreak occurred with birds kept under cover. This is going to be 9,000 out in the open.

"We are right underneath the motorway. If a case was reported how would they be able to quarantine the area?"

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said that, as part of the Government's contingency plans, farmers would be required to erect temporary shelters to house birds.

If any high-risk case was reported, a protection zone of at least 3km' could be set up around the site.

The application for Springfield Farm is due before the borough council next month pending reports by its environment and highways departments.