Hauliers across the country claim they face crippling financial problems after a Somerset incineration plant allegedly refused to pay them after running into financial problems.

Furious haulage bosses from firms up and down the country say they have been forced to sack workers as Frome-based Wessex Incineration continues to avoid settling its bills, running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The hauliers transport livestock, abattoir waste, animal waste and waste from catering companies in the South West and nationwide to the plant for incineration.

Charlie Martin, of Martin Hauliers in Essex, said: "If someone doesn't pay the collectors soon there will be dead cows left all over the countryside.

"We are trying to arrange a meeting, within the next couple of weeks, for anyone who is owed money by Wessex Incineration."

Managing director of Wessex Incineration, Chris Payne, last night again refused to comment to the Western Daily Press about the state of his business which was rumoured to be on the brink of collapse earlier this week.

Hauliers have also complained he is not returning any of their calls.

Mr Payne, from Frome, is the fourth generation of his family to have run the business. It is not known how many people are employed by the company, based in Bunns Lane, Frome.

Michael Hibbert, a contractor of Wessex Incineration, set up his company West Country Livestock 15 years ago. He claimed earlier this week that the plant owes him £20,000 and it seems that dozens more businesses have been affected.

Mr Hibbert, from Exeter, said: "In the last three months, payments got smaller and smaller then dried up altogether.

"I've had to lay off two of my staff, one of whom was my son. I know two more have been forced to retire and another from Oxford went into receivership.

"I'm worried sick about the future for myself and my company. The work is not there."

Mr Hibbert's company started trading solely with Wessex Incineration three years ago when he was offered a contract to collect cattle.

He is one of about 40 haulers from Somerset, Norfolk and Oxford which trade with the company.

He said: "I realised three or four months ago that something was wrong but I kept picking up the cows and asking for the payments. The company said their payments had been delayed."

Mr Martin said Wessex Incineration received cash from the Government's Rural Payments Agency (RPA) but the contractors had not seen any of this money for months.

"Wessex owe us money which the RPA have paid them even when they knew the contractors were not being paid," he said. "How can a government body pay a company that is not paying the people that actually do their work? It's the small companies that do the dirty work."

Wessex was criticised earlier this year after homeowners said its expansion turned the Bunns Lane area into an industrial estate. The company installed a large incinerator that destroys four tons of waste every hour.

Mr Martin is urging affected businesses to contact him on 01376 331136.