A controversial animal rendering plant has breached planning rules by operating on a Sunday, a council investigation has claimed.

Omega Proteins, at Erlings Works in Denholme, has long been accused by residents of causing foul smells, though the company says it fully complies with laws and regulations.

Bradford Council’s planning and environmental health departments have been investigating allegations the firm has been rendering on Sundays, in breach of a planning condition.

And the investigation revealed rendering has been taking place into the early hours of Sunday, according to a council report.

The council has now sent the firm a letter telling it to make sure its operations are shut down on Saturday evenings.

However, there was better news on another aspect of the site’s operation, which is also facing council scrutiny – whether lorries are going to and from the site out-of-hours. Officers saw no breaches of these rules during ten hours of monitoring.

The report also reveals the mixed success of the firm’s odour-busting equipment.

The new developments are included in a report updating the council’s environment and waste management overview and scrutiny committee.

But a statement from Omega Proteins said it disagreed with the findings. It added: “The report contains allegations that are neither justified nor proven.”

The firm said it had installed a CCTV system at the council’s request to monitor HGV movements. It added: “We are at a loss as to why officers need to observe the site independently, and at the public’s expense, after agreeing a mechanism for observing vehicles entering the site, namely the CCTV system.”

Omega Proteins said it was surprised by the allegations of Sunday working, adding: “We have engaged in open and transparent correspondence with Bradford Council.

“We had previously asked for specific dates and times of allegations of when breaches were alleged.”

And it said council comments about its biofilters and thermal oxidiser were “inaccurate and misleading”.