HAZARDOUS chicken waste was spilled on to a Bradford road causing traffic chaos when a speeding lorry driver braked sharply, a court heard.

The stinking offal tipped from his trailer blocked the A650 Wakefield Road, near the Dudley Hill Roundabout, causing long tailbacks at lunchtime on September 4 last year.

The transportation company, J G Pears (Newark) Ltd, will be sentenced on September 3 after pleading guilty at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court to failing to comply with an animal by-product regulation and failing to clearly identify the category of the by-product during transportation.

The case was sent to Bradford Crown Court and yesterday Judge Mark Savill heard that the waste was spilled when the driver braked harshly while doing 42mph in a 40mph zone.

Imran Khan, prosecuting for Bradford Council, said an environmental health officer called to the scene described the stench as "overpowering".

Two lanes of the busy road were closed for two hours across lunchtime, causing severe traffic disruption, with tailbacks to Tong Street, Sticker Lane and Rooley Lane.

Mr Khan said J G Pears, based at Penistone, near Sheffield, was transporting the waste to P Waddingtons and Co in Bradford.

The road had to be disinfected and then specially cleansed of the high risk waste product.

The company carried out the work, with staff from Bradford Council.

Mr Khan said the cost of bringing the case was £5,000.

In mitigation, Tahir Khan QC, barrister for the company, said it had never previously been prosecuted for a by-product spillage.

The lorry and trailer were fit for purpose but the driver was going too fast and braked sharply.

"The company is highly responsible in the way it transports animal by-products," Mr Khan said.

Although its newer vehicles had bigger splash plates, all met the required standards.

Had the case been dealt with by the magistrates, the maximum fine for each offence would be £5,000.

Mr Khan said the Justices could have sentenced the company and he urged Judge Savill not to exceed that amount, although his powers meant the fine was now unlimited.

The company pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was a very professionally-run business, Mr Khan said.

He handed the judge testimonials, speaking of its high reputation.

"Incidents do happen and this company has a very, very good record of compliance to its obligations," he told the court.

Adjourning the case, Judge Savill asked the company to produce its accounts over the last three years at next month's sentencing hearing.