Co Tyrone town kicks up a stink over massive spillage of ‘pungent’ waste

The clean-up continued in a Co Tyrone Border village on Friday following a massive spillage of "pungent" food waste.

Official investigations were under way after a thick layer of a paste-like substance was spilled in the main street of Aughnacloy, which is on the main Dublin to Derry road.

Cars and houses along a 100m stretch of the town’s Moore Street were splattered by the substance in the incident on Thursday.

Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture said it believed the substance was whey, a dairy byproduct used to feed pigs.

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Initially there was confusion over the nature of the waste, with some business owners believing it was chicken manure or offal.

Waste water generated during the clean-up operation was also taken away from the area because of fears local waterways could be contaminated.

There were also concerns about the impact of the incident on local businesses. "The smell which I understand was most pungent certainly would not encourage people to stop and shop in the town," said Ulster Unionist Assembly member Rosemary Barton.

Major disruption

SDLP Assembly member Daniel McCrossan said local residents and businesses had faced major disruption.

“No one wants their town smelling foul. But we must discover the cause of the the spillage.”

Rhonda Montgomery of Hospitality Excellence Ireland said the substance did not look or smell like normal slurry. "Cars were plastered in it and it had been dragged further up the road by other cars."