AN ABATTOIR near Stonehouse has become the first in the UK to receive a licence to slaughter alpacas and llamas.

Pete Broomhall, joint owner of J Broomhall Ltd in Eastington, applied for the licence from the Food Standards Agency after an alpaca farmer asked if he could slaughter some animals which were not suitable for breeding.

Last week the first two alpacas arrived at the abattoir, just days after Mr Broomhall received his licence.

"The farmer asked me to find another use for his animals and when I took the pair off his hands I think he was quite relieved," said Mr Broomhall, 67.

Alpaca meat will be sold at a starting price of around £20 per kilo in J Broomhall butchers, which has branches in Stonehouse, Eastington and Dursley.

"This is the first time I have sold alpaca – it is unusual and could be a bit of a challenge but one exotic meat wholesaler is already showing an interest," said Mr Broomhall, who took over the abattoir in 1958 with his brother Stephen, 62, although a slaughterhouse has been located on the site since 1894.

One alpaca has already been sold - it was brought by Mike Hillard, director of environmental project Tranquillity Houses in Rodborough, who acquired a taste for it on his travels in Bolivia.

"It tastes a bit like veal," he said.

The other alpaca has been snapped up by head chef Mark Redwood of The Old Passage in Arlingham, who intends to serve up the meat from September.

Alpacas are native to the Andes Mountains in South America where they have been farmed for centuries for their prized fleece.

Llamas, on the other hand, are traditionally bred in South America for their meat and to carry loads.

When farmers began to realise how valuable an alpaca fleece could be they began breeding them in England.

Nick Atkins, who owns Atkins Alpacas in Minchinhamton, shears his alpacas once a year and uses the fleece to make garments.

The alpacas also make good companions and are sold as pets, while the males, which can be fiercely protective, can be used to defend sheep from foxes.

But Mr Atkins said he was not keen on the idea of slaughtering alpacas, even if they no longer serve any purpose.

"We look after our alpacas until the end of their years because we love them. There is no need to slaughter them for meat," he said.