Coughlan pleased British samples prove negative

IT was a relief that initial test results for samples taken from another cattle herd in Surrey on Thursday night were negative for foot and mouth disease, Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan said yesterday.

But she said a positive result would not have warranted further control measures here.

Ms Coughlan said she had been in contact with her officials late the previous night and they had been maintaining very close contact with colleagues in London and Belfast ahead of confirmation of the negative test results yesterday.