Police have claimed they were powerless to prevent a van containing stinking piles of rancid chicken and live pigeons from delivering its load to a restaurant in Southend.

The unrefrigerated Ford Transit was stopped for a routine check by officers from Rayleigh traffic division in Southend as it made its way into the town.

When officers opened the doors they were horrified to discover the repulsive stench - coming from a third of a ton of fresh chicken breasts, live pigeons, a can of petrol and loose animal feed, it is claimed.

The officers called Southend Council's environmental health department but said they were told no-one from the department could be sent out because there was no legislation to cover the transit of food.

Today the officers have expressed their anger over being "powerless" and having no choice but to let the van continue its journey.

PC Geoff Howell said: "It was the most horrible thing I have ever smelled. It was nauseous and rancid, similar to the smell of an unwashed dishcloth.

"I was absolutely astonished there was nothing we could do. It is the first time I feel as though I've let down the public in my role as a police officer - but we were just powerless to do anything.

"I was told that as long as the chicken was washed and cooked properly, there was nothing else we could do."

A Southend Council spokesman said: "A decision was taken by out-of-hours council staff not to request the detention of the van.

"However, the incident was followed up the next day with Maldon District Council - the area the van came from. Our officers also carried out extensive inquiries at restaurants in Southend but no suspect food has subsequently been found."

The out-of-hours environmental health service is set up primarily to deal with noise nuisance, added the spokesman.

He said many procedures involved in environmental health matter are controlled by national Government regulations which are outside the borough council's control.

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