The E-coli inquiry heard yesterday that it was ''nothing short of a minor miracle'' that there had not been a food poisoning outbreak at John Barr's butcher's shop before the epidemic that killed 21 people.

Food safety consultant Dr Richard North said that, when the Wishaw butchers started in a small way, the working lay-out had been adequate.

But as the business grew, the lay-out was no longer adequate and there was a very real and unavoidable risk of cross-contamination from raw meats to cooked meat products, he stated.

He added: ''It's nothing short of a minor miracle there had not been a food poisoning outbreak earlier.''

Parts of Dr North's report had been put to food safety consultant, Dr Lisa Ackerley, who said she did not agree with all the points made by Dr North.

She said E-coli 0157 cross-contamination can occur in small as well as bigger businesses.

Dr Ackerley is a director of Hygiene Audit Systems Ltd, of St Albans, who compiled a hazard analysis report to improve food safety at Mr Barr's shop and another on the November 1996 outbreak for the Hamilton procurator fiscal. Referring to Dr North's report she said: ''You could say any butcher's shop prior to this event was a disaster waiting to happen.''

During cross-examination by Colin Sutherland, QC for North Lanarkshire Council, Dr Ackerley admitted several points in her report to the fiscal were wrong.

Dr Ackerley said she did not think the truth would ever be known as to just how the outbreak occured. ''Its unfair to put me on the spot as to what product caused the illness, where and how.''

The Motherwell inquiry continues.