No more animal carcasses will be imported for burial at Sussex landfill sites after the Ministry of Agriculture agreed the practice was "irregular".

Officials acted after a meeting in Horsham about the use of a Biffa site near Warnham for disposing of sheep and pig carcasses during the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

West Sussex County Council, Horsham District Council, the Environment Agency and the National Farmers Union expressed their concerns to Maff.

Council leaders complained that there had been no prior discussion or agreement before slaughtered animals from infected areas were brought into the county for disposal.

County council leader Graham Forshaw said: "The transportation of carcasses from an area close to a site where the disease has been confirmed is totally unacceptable. We are doing everything we can to ensure West Sussex remains a disease-free area.

"At the end of the day, we have to accept our part in preventing unnecessary suffering to sheep and pigs. But that does not mean we will jeopardise our hard-won disease-free status.

"We will not agree to help unless we are offered a deal which safeguards our countryside from this deadly scourge."

Ministry officials said no further animals would be arriving at any site in the county and further discussions would be taking place on the need to control the transport of carcasses within areas which are disease-free.

Details of the disposal of carcasses transferred directly in sealed and disinfected containers from local abattoirs and registration by vets will be finalised at a later date.

George Torrance, chairman of the National Farmers' Union's West Sussex branch, said any ban on disposing animals from other counties should be weighed against the implications for farmers stuck with animals which could not be moved or were at risk of infection.