Role of British government in foot-and-mouth crisis criticised

THE British government's handling of last year's foot-and-mouth crisis was criticised in a report published yesterday.

The Lessons to be Learned Inquiry highlighted "gaps" in the plan designed to combat an outbreak and said there was "limited" knowledge of farming practices, which contributed to the spread of the disease.

It said the impact of the crisis on tourism and the rural economy was not initially recognised and "large parts of the farming and wider rural community became mistrustful of government".