BRITISH Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said yesterday that any abuse of Iraqi prisoners by British troops would be “rooted out” amid accusations his government had “lost its grip” on Iraq policy.

The British Government has published the rates it will pay farmers for animals slaughtered because of foot-and-mouth.

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.

British vets have confirmed animals slaughtered on a farm next door to the establishment suspected of being the source of the foot-and-mouth outbreak did have the infection.