Britain's chief vet Jim Scudamore is visiting Cumbria to explain the Government's planned pre-emptive slaughter of up to 500,000 healthy animals to farmers.

The foot-and-mouth epidemic is likely to persist for several months, British Agriculture Minister Nick Brown has warned.

Britain's farming industry faces months of torture as the toll from foot-and-mouth disease continues to rise.

The British Government is resisting pressure from countryside leaders to delay elections because of the impact foot-and-mouth could have on campaigning.

Farmers are preparing for the foot and mouth crisis to spread further after the disease took hold in two new counties.

The Cheltenham Festival has come under fresh doubt after it was confirmed a suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease has emerged three miles from Lambourn.

The National Farmers' Union in England have appealed for racing not to resume tomorrow.

The British Government has announced the early release of compensation for the crisis-hit farming community as the number of cases of foot and mouth disease rose to 52.

The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has vowed that the UK Government will take all necessary steps to combat the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

European Union experts are meeting to decide whether to impose an immediate ban on all livestock exports from the UK.