Foot and mouth scare puts farmers on alert

FARM leaders in Ireland yesterday warned that a possible new leak of foot and mouth disease in Britain was a matter of great concern.

The British government said the highly contagious virus might have escaped through a leaking valve at the Merial research facility in Pirbright in Surrey.

However, the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn also told the House of Commons that inspectors had been assured the virus had not been released into the environment.