Butcher denies e coli charges

A South Wales butcher has pleaded not guilty in court to charges in connection with a major e coli outbreak in 2005 which left one boy dead and 160 people in hospital.

William Tudor,55, Clemenstone, Cowbridge, entered the plea during the first day of a hearing before Newport Crown Court.

A trial date was then set for Oct 15 with the court being advised that the case could run until Christmas.

It will be alleged at the hearing that the outbreak which swept through schools in the Rhondda Valley had its source at John Tudor & Son butchers of Bridgend.

The list of charges brought by Caerphilly County Borough Council, Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council and Bridgend County Borough Council were detailed in court.

They included six charges of supplying meat contaminated with e.coli 0157 to schools.

Other charges included:

? Premises, in particular raw-meat cutting areas, walk-in freezer, ham pumping room, cooked meat area

and walk-in chiller, not kept clean.

? Equipment,including band-saw, vacuum packer, scales, branding equipment, stainless-steel table, 12-inch knife and meat slicer, not kept clean.

? Food not protected from contamination during the handling, storage, packaging, display and transportation process.

? Handlers not properly supervised, instructed and/or trained.

? butcher's licence requirements, in terms of cross-contamination, not complied with.

? Failure to ensure adequate safety procedures maintained.

The boy who died was five-year-old Mason Jones, a pupil at Deri Primary School, Deri, Bargoed.

Other schools affected were Hendre Junior, Caerphilly; Oaklands Primary, Aberaman; Glantaff Infants, Rhydyfelin; Newtown Primary, Mountain Ash, and Ton Pentre Junior, Ton Pentre.

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