Sheep flock slaughtered in the North

A flock of sheep are being slaughtered in the North this afternoon and tests carried out to see if they had the foot and mouth virus.

The affected farm is within two miles of the border and farmers on both sides of the border are bracing themselves for disaster. If confirmed, it will be the first case of the disease in the North since the scare began.

The Stormont Minister for Agriculture, Brid Rodgers, said the animals are "hot suspects" for the disease. Vets are now carrying out urgent tests on the sheep at the farm near the village of Meigh in south Armagh, close to the border.

The animals concerned are believed to have been brought into the North from Carlisle in England about two weeks ago.

A former president of the Ulster Farmers' Union, Will Taylor, said it was the blackest day for farmers in the North since the BSE disaster. He said he was both horrified and stunned.

Farms across Ireland must now become fortresses, he said, with no one allowed to move about until the all clear.