THE carcass of a stag was left to rot for six days yards from a Mid Devon household following a wrangle over how the body should be disposed of.

Keith Batstone, from Withleigh, noticed the animal was in distress adjacent to his home, and reported the matter to the RSPCA on Wednesday, September 21.

He was visited by the charity the following day when it decided there was no other option but to arrange for an expert to put the animal down.

After the animal was shot, Mr Batstone said he was told by the marksman that arrangements would be made for the animal's disposal.

Mr Batstone, who runs a kitchen manufacturing business at his Springfield home, went away for the weekend only to find the dead animal in the same location, 20ft from his home, on his return.

He said he was told by both the RSPCA and Mid Devon District Council that removal of the dead animal was not their responsibility, with Defra passing the buck to the landowner.

By Tuesday, the body was infested with maggots and omitting a powerful, "sickening" stench.

Mr Batstone, who runs a kitchen manufacturing business from his home at Springfield, said the district council's environmental health team would not get involved as the body was on private land.

Mr Batstone said: "The RSPCA said they don't collect carcasses and got on to Mid Devon District Council.

"They are just passing the buck backwards and forwards. What gets me is if it is on private land, why did they shoot it if there was going to be a problem getting rid of the carcass."

Chris Vine, who also lives at Springfield, said the conservatory could not be opened due to the stench of the rotting body and said none of the authorities contacted were willing to help.

She said Tiverton Staghounds at East Worlington were contacted in desperation and agreed to remove the carcass on Wednesday last week.

Jo Barr, spokesperson for the RSPCA, said Mr Batstone may have been given "mixed messages".

She said the stag was put down as it was missing one of its hooves as a result of an old injury which was getting worse.

She said she could only speculate how the injury occurred but it was necessary to put the animal to sleep to prevent further suffering as it would not have been able to fend for itself.

The spokesman added: "We would only remove an animal's body if it was evidence that needed to be examined and kept as part of a potential cruelty investigation.

"As a charity, we have a role to prevent suffering, which we did, but we do not have the staff or finances to remove carcasses from private land."

Carcasses on a road would be removed by the highways authority or police if it was causing an obstruction and Defra would ensure dead livestock are dealt with properly.

Mid Devon District Council said that it cannot remove a dead animal from private land unless a carcass is classed as causing an "environmental nuisance".