CHARLIE ANDERSON, the worst affected of the workmen who collapsed, has welcomed the fine, writes Chris Hardy.

“I feel it is what they deserved,” he said.

“As long as they pay attention and make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”

Mr Anderson’s job involved collecting the carcases of animals killed at the adjacent abattoir and taking them by tractor to the rendering plant where he toppled them into the pit from where they were incinerated.

He still works in the abattoir but no longer transports the dead carcases across to the rendering plant.

“Sometimes I still don’t feel very great,” he said.

“The smell still makes me feel nervous and unsettled. I felt like leaving after the incident but there are not many jobs going.”

Mrs Caroline Monro, a member of HONK, the residents campaign group concerned about emissions from the Sacone plant and chairwoman of the liaison committee that meets regularly with the company and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, described the fine as “disgusting.”

She said, “The company put people’s lives at risk. People could have been killed because of their poor practices.

“That fine is very, very lenient. It should have been treble that. They must be laughing all the way to the bank.”

Mrs Monro said there continued to be complaints and concerns about emissions from the Sacone plant.

“The recent SEPA report on the plant was scathing. The smell is still going on, even with the improvements to the plant. It has been horrendous and there will be a liaison committee meeting soon.”