Exclusive by JANE FIELD

HORRIFIC scenes of the devasting effects the foot-and-mouth crisis were witnessed in Lymm this week as almost 500 dying sheep and lambs drowning in mud and starving were shot dead.

Heartbroken villagers have spent weeks trying to get officials out to attend to the 400 sheep on Crouchley Lane and Mags Lane - unable to be moved for being under a "high risk" D form notices - and were feeding and paying veterinary bills themselves.

Warrington Borough Council, Cheshire County Council, the RSPCA, vets and residents all stepped in to try to help the stranded animals in their plight before the humane slaughter took place on Tuesday afternoon.

More than 100 had already died, many of which were left in a heap in the field because there are also restrictions on burying carcasses.

"Officers were so concerned about the condition of the animals that they bought feed themselves," said a county council spokesman.

But it was Tatton MP Martin Bell who stepped in to push ahead with the necessary killing. He said the sheep were suffering "unbelievably."

"The scenes were horrific," he said. "Sheep were trying to charge out of the field and ewes and lambs were dying in the mud.

"I talked to the Intervention Board but in High Legh they were slow to react.

"The animal crisis has been absolutely horrendous and everyone was slow to catch on to the scale of the problem."

The sheep had been brought to the fields for grazing by Glossop farmer John Driver before the foot-and-mouth outbreak. They should have stayed just six weeks but could not be moved because of the restrictions. Grass ran out and many of the sheep died because they were so weak. Lambs were born dead because of the condition of their mothers.

One neighbour says she witnessed a new-born lamb dying in a mud bath.

"I am just glad it is all over," said another villager, who asked not to be named. "It was awful, we had people knocking on our door saying there were lambs in the road and I would take it back knowing its mother would be dead and it had the same fate."

Licences for the cull of disease-free animals are issued by the Intervention Board as a last resort when the farmer cannot move the animals.

A spokesman admitted they were slow to get started: "We have had huge logistical problems and the priority was for the diseased animals. We had 1.8 million registered for slaughter.

"We did not start slaughtering disease-free animals until March 3 and licences have been issued on a priority basis."