A SHOCKED motorist has spoken of her horror at discovering a dead cow lying in a Worcestershire lane.

The woman feared the carcase had fallen from the back of a lorry, sparking concern among residents in nearby Himbleton that the transportation of slaughtered cattle to a mass grave at Throckmorton was not safe.

The driver had been travelling on the B4091 towards Hanbury when she saw the animal at the side of the Old Turnpike Road, near Himbleton.

Her discovery set off a chain of inquiries between officials handling the foot-and-mouth crisis.

First she called the police who responded by contacting the Ministry of Agriculture and the carcase was removed.

MAFF at first denied knowledge of the incident, but later admitted West Mercia police had alerted its officials.

Investigators then referred the Evening News on to the Green Howards Regiment, which has been co-ordinating the clean-up, for comment.

"I thought at first that someone had put the cow at the end of a farm drive," said the woman, who asked not to be named.

"But then I noticed that it had smashed into some bollards and looked as though it had fallen from a lorry.

"It's terrible that something like this can happen and very worrying. It's just not safe."

Mystery still surrounds how the carcase arrived in the lane.

Lt Bob Williams, of the Green Howards, admitted he was "dumbfounded".

"We go through every procedure possible to make sure that something like this cannot happen," he said.

"The trucks are sealed down and followed by escorts all the way.

"I can't deny that we had reports the cow was there but we are dumbfounded as to where it came from."