Environmental health officers were called to St Andrews abattoir at the weekend when dumped entrails and other animal parts caused a public health alert.
Neighbours opened their doors to a sickening stench after slaughter by-products, including offal and a sheep’s head, were left out in the yard as Fife basked in a heatwave.
The abattoir said the offal had fallen out of a container as it was put on a lorry for removal.
One resident said: “That smell has made us ill. On Saturday morning, I opened my doors because it was so hot but I immediately had to shut them again. But by that time my house was already stinking.
“That stuff was left lying in the open and the seagulls were having a field day. That could have been spread all over the town because of the birds.
“That stuff should not be lying there. Environmental health had to bring people out. Environmental health were shocked.
“It’s atrocious. We’ve kept quiet all these years and put up with a lot. I’ve even had cattle in my garden.”
The abattoir’s last day of operation was Friday, so there will be no more livestock processed at the site.
It is now set to be redeveloped as a Marks & Spencer Simply Food and a Premier Inn.
Abattoir chairman Gordon Young said the slaughterhouse was no longer economically viable and kill numbers had been falling.
When contacted on Tuesday, Mr Young said: “When the chap was loading the lorry, there was a minor spillage. It’s as simple as that. It’s the first time in 30 years it has happened.
“He was putting the container on to the lorry and something came out of the container he wasn’t aware of before he pulled away. It was tidied up and dealt with very quickly.”
Linda Turner, who is a public and environmental protection service manager for Fife Council, said: “Following a complaint late Saturday evening, we dealt with this matter as an immediate public health concern. We contacted the operator of the abattoir, who immediately took steps to have the offending material removed, which resolved the issue to our satisfaction.”
Although welcomed by local residents, the abattoir closure was a blow to local meat producers, with the next nearest facility in Dunblane.
Developers Ashleigh (St Andrews) Ltd are set to lodge a revised planning application for transforming the abattoir site.
Ashleigh managing director Alex Steel said: “The buildings are no longer fit for purpose. The proposed development sees an existing brownfield site brought back into productive use, which will underpin St Andrews’ identity as a tourism hot spot for Scotland and retailing destination for the whole of Fife.”
Development consultant Brian Robinson said: “This development is 100% deliverable in the short term, meaning the site can be brought back into use again as soon as planning is obtained.
“The people of St Andrews made it crystal clear to us that they were in support of this development and we remain fully committed to having the new hotel and store opened as soon as the necessary consents are obtained.”