A REDDITCH farmer is outraged because 356 cattle carcasses have been left rotting outside his home after they were slaughtered at the weekend.

Peter Whittaker, of Stoney Lane Farm, Tutnall, had to have 146 cattle destroyed because they had been in ''dangerous contact'' with a further 210 cattle which were being kept on his farm.

The slaughter took place as part of a mass cull to stop the spread of foot and mouth disease and four farms in Redditch were affected following an outbreak in Staffordshire.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Whittaker said: "Some of the cattle were killed in the barn on Friday and mine were shot in the yard on Sunday.

''The army was supposed to move them on Sunday afternoon, then they were coming at 8am on Monday and I haven't heard anything since.''

He added: "The smell is terrible, they have gone green and they are right outside my house.

''It's hard enough having your stock destroyed but to see them lying around in the yard afterwards just rubs salt in the wound.''

Lt Bob Williams, of the Green Howards, said yesterday: "The cattle will be picked up last thing today or first thing tomorrow.

''We are working our hardest through the backlog with the resources we have but we're getting more efficient all the time."

Meanwhile, the Redditch Advertiser has received a number of calls from residents complaining about the smell coming from more than 480 sheep carcasses at Lowans Hill Farm, Salters Lane, near Batchley.

The sheep were killed on one of the four farms listed as ''dangerous contacts''.

Batchley councillor Betty Passingham said: "I don't think it is good enough. Who decided to put sheep right by a council estate? It just doesn't seem sensible.

"But I have spoken to MAFF and they have been very helpful and have promised to deal with it quickly.

"I also heard that kids were going up there and lifting the covers off the animals."

A total of 1,300 sheep and 70 cattle were also slaughtered at Hollow Court Farm in Stock Green, near Redditch, on Saturday.