CONTRACTORS who worked on the foot-and-mouth clean-up are still battling the Government to settle £40 million worth of outstanding invoices.

Among them is Cumbria County Council-owned firm Cumbria Waste Management which is owed more than £5 million.

It has taken the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to court for the cash but the case has yet to be heard.

"We have spent several hundred thousand pounds on making the Government pay what is owed to us," said managing director Mike Bareham. "It has been deeply tedious and a massive distraction from real challenges within the waste industry, such as reducing landfill."

Nick Goulding, chief executive of the Forum of Private Business that is fighting on behalf of contractors, said Defra had obstinately refused to acknowledge the plight of businesses that had submitted invoices for money "rightfully owed to them".

Environment Minister Elliot Morley hit back at their campaign, claiming the FBP implied the Government should pay invoices on demand and not investigate them.

Mr Goulding responded: "Mr Morley is hiding behind a smoke screen of excuses".

"He is using the same hackneyed excuse that the contractors are over-charging but the facts show there is little evidence of this."

The FBP said a Defra report showed more than 1,200 contractors were involved in the crisis and fewer than one per cent of those contractors' claims had or were being investigated as fraudulent. Of the 18 allegations of fraud made against contractors, six claims have been dismissed and 12 are under investigation.

Mr Goulding said: "On the fourth anniversary of this outbreak, it is time for an end to the prevaricating. Defra must pay up."

Foot-and-mouth four years on, click on Farm and Country.