THOSE living close to the Throckmorton foot and mouth burial site have increased stress levels, an independent report into the effects of the pit has revealed.

However, the report says physical health risks from the airfield were negligible.

The impact of strain-related illness on the health and well-being of local residents had been "significant" and, in some cases, appeared to be on-going, the report states.

But, although the stress symptoms were apparent, consultants cannot provide documentary evidence of a direct link to the site.

The report, by Norwegian firm Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) last year, clears the airfield burial site, containing thousands of animal carcasses buried during the foot-and-mouth epidemic, of being a health or environmental time-bomb.

The aim of the report is to investigate concerns of some residents that the site, used in 2001 to bury 130,000 animals culled to control the disease, posed a real risk to the environment and public health in the area.

It says that the on-going environmental impact and associated risks are acceptable.

But Edward Righton, whose farm is half a mile from the burial ground, said he is still unconvinced the site is entirely safe.

"There is a still a lot of activity down there and they are still having some big problems with effluent," said Mr Righton.

"The soil is very impermeable there and if effluent from 130,000 dead animals can't go down it's going to come up.

However, Mr Righton said he did not think there was any risk to his livestock because his farm was upstream from the ground. "If I was downstream of it I would not be very happy," said the farmer.

Mr Righton said although the site was not a main cause of stress for him, other villagers were worried they would not be able to sell their houses.

"Throckmorton has become known as this nasty place where they buried 130,000 dead animals," he said.