Malton Bacon Factory has started slaughtering pigs again for the first time since the foot and mouth crisis began.

All 110 workers have gone back to work after it was announced the factory was re-opening its slaughter line, which had closed as a result of restrictions on the movement of animals.

Workers were sent home on full pay and, despite being listed as an approved abattoir by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food last week, bosses resisted re-opening due to fears the whole factory could be shut down for 21 days if a pig with foot and mouth disease was discovered at the plant.

"The decision to reopen was taken when managers at the factory were told that if such an eventuality arose, it would not close," said Kathy Cuddihy, spokeswoman for Malton Bacon Factory's parent company Uniq.

"They were told that if a pig at the plant was found to have the disease only the slaughter section would close for two days."

Meanwhile, wholesalers and butchers in the region say meat prices will drop next week because of more meat being available than expected. But the increased costs of maintaining health and safety at abattoirs means consumers are unlikely to benefit.

Joe Traves, co-owner of Traves wholesalers, based in York, said: "We have had no problems getting meat because there has been a lot of imported meat available.

"People have been ordering a lot of meat because they thought the restrictions would go on for longer. But now they have been lifted there is also British meat around."

But Peter Scott, from the British Meat Federation, which oversees the operation of UK abattoirs, said consumers would not benefit. He said: "Abattoirs have been hit by added costs as a result of having to clean trucks loading and unloading livestock."

Ryedale firm JSR Newsham, which sells pig bred stock, has been hit by restrictions which have been imposed.

Updated: 11:51 Friday, March 09, 2001