Supplier's process 'inadequate'

John Tudor and Son may challenge the prohibition orders

The company linked to the E.coli outbreak in south Wales was using "inadequate disinfection procedures," council officials have said.

In a statement, Bridgend Council confirmed it issued two prohibition notices against John Tudor and Son of Bridgend early in the outbreak.

The number of cases reached 160 on Sunday with 38 schools affected.

Lawyers for the company said they might challenge the prohibitions at a court hearing next week.

The council issued its statement on Friday "to clarify its position in response to recent media articles and to update the public on the authority's involvement in the E.coli outbreak."

Officials said the first prohibition order had related to a packing process, and was issued on 19 September.

The second, issued the following day, banned the use of the premises as a food business "due to inadequate disinfection procedures being employed there".

Both notices were confirmed by Bridgend Magistrates Court on 22 September, but the meat suppliers, which was last routinely inspected on 19 July 2005, said it was not represented in court.

Negative results

The company's lawyers also said the disinfection process used at the plant may not have breached regulations.

On Thursday, John Tudor and Son said the results of a second round of tests for E.coli on its premises had come back negative.

Contamination

The company said in a statement: "John Tudor and Son have co-operated fully with environmental health officers at Bridgend Council.

"A second series of test have been conducted by environmental health officers.

"Environmental health officers have confirmed that those tests have proved, as did the first series of tests, negative."

A spokesman for the National Public Health Service of Wales would not comment on individual test results.

He added that levels of contamination were low and would not be found in every result and said the ongoing investigation would take some time.

Health officials have said the outbreak - which has affected children from 38 schools - is in decline, with most people falling ill before control measures were introduced.

Assembly members agreed on Wednesday to set up a cross-party committee that will look into what form a planned inquiry into the outbreak will eventually take.

The six-strong committee will begin its work over the coming weeks.