A group of farmers from Mid Wales were today celebrating a U-turn by the Welsh Assembly to use land at Kerry Ridge as a possible burning site for thousands of animals slaughtered in the foot and mouth crisis.

About 35 farmers from the small communities of Kerry, Sarn and surrounding areas used their vehicles to block the road leading to the site, and to persuade lorry drivers and workers to leave the area.

The farmers said they had not been told about plans to prepare the site for possible burning and asked workers at the site, owned by the Forestry Commission, to abandon their work.

Meanwhile many residents said they were worried about the effect work on the area would have on their water supplies.

Nearby resident Ian Chambers said many people in the area were on well water, which originated in the Kerry hills.

"There is no way of knowing how our water supplies will be affected," he said.

"The other problem is that people have just not been told what is going on."

Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Opik and assembly member Mick Bates have written to the assembly's rural affairs minister, Carwyn Jones, to tell him of their frustration at not being involved directly in meetings regarding the site