Public anxiety and media pressure forced the publication of a list of outlets supplied by Wishaw butcher John Barr, the E-coli inquiry heard yesterday.

Dr Martin Donaghy told the fatal accident inquiry into the deaths of 21 people that a decision not to release the list became untenable 24 hours after it was taken.

Dr Donaghy, an epidemiologist with Lanarkshire Health Board, said that, following a meeting of the outbreak control team on November 26, 1996, it was felt the only message to give the public about suspect food products was ''if in doubt throw it out''.

He said: ''I reconsidered my position and thought at that time that the decision reached on Tuesday was untenable.''

At the time of the E-coli 0157 food poisoning outbreak linked to cooked meat products from John M Barr & Son there was great public anxiety about what other outlets the butcher supplied.

Dr Donaghy then had a meeting with the director of public health at Lanarkshire Health Board. They ran through the options which included going on television and telling two to three million people throughout central Scotland to throw out all the cold meats in their fridges, or name the actual outlets supplied by Barr's.

In terms of public anxiety, he said, it was decided that the best course of action was to name those outlets.

The inquiry continues.