Animal carcasses have been dumped at a West Sussex landfill site and could be buried at another.

Protests are mounting amid fears the decision could leave Sussex vulnerable to foot and mouth disease, which it has so far escaped.

County council chiefs were today demanding a meeting with the Government before carcasses are shipped into West Sussex.

But waste company Biffa said its site at Brookhurst Wood, in Warnham, had already been used to bury sheep carcasses which were slaughtered as a precautionary measure and were not suffering from the disease.

The other site which could possibly be used is at Small Dole, near Henfield.

The Government wrote to all landfill companies in Britain asking them to list sites meeting criteria which would allow the safe burial of carcasses.

The landfill sites have to be lined to stop seepage into water supplies and allow gases to escape.

A burial site at Warnham has been dug to a depth of three metres and has been created away from the main site.

A Biffa spokesman said: "We sought assurances from Maff that the sheep were not infected. All vehicles entering the site are disinfected, and when they leave."

Paul Rigg, chief executive of West Sussex County Council, said: "While we are certainly willing to do our bit to contribute to the national effort to halt the spread of foot and mouth, we had been assured that areas free of the disease would not be used in this way."

Mr Rigg said the Government should look elsewhere in the country so as not to move carcasses into areas which are so far free of the disease.

He added: "Although these animals have been inspected before slaughter to ensure they do not show any signs of the disease, we need more assurances about this before we can be satisfied this is the right thing to do."

Arundel and South Downs MP Howard Flight has written to agriculture minister Nick Brown, questioning the use of the Small Dole landfill site.

A Ministry of Agriculture spokesman said it would be impossible to dispose of all the carcasses in places affected by foot and mouth.

Animals would be disinfected after they had been slaughtered and buried so there was no chance of infection when landfill sites were used.

Devil's Dyke, the downland beauty spot near Brighton, reopened today after being closed for a month due to the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The National Trust took Government advice and decided to reopen the valley and part of the hillfort to visitors. Until now only the restaurant and viewpoint have been open.

Head warden Charlie Cain said: "People have acted very responsibly over the foot-and-mouth crisis but now at last there is a chance to enjoy the Dyke."

Restrictions will still apply to keep a distance between walkers and grazing animals. Dogs will need to stay on leads. No hang gliding or paragliding is allowed.