Britain responds to foot and mouth criticism

Britain has responded to Irish criticism of its handling of the Foot and Mouth outbreak.

British Agriculture Minister Nick Brown says he can understand why Ireland is "upset and angry", but he denies mishandling the crisis.

Mr Brown says all of the cases that have come-to-light so far can be traced to the one source.

Speaking on the BBC’s Breakfast with Frost programme the British minister confirmed that he had spoken to the Minister for Agriculture Joe Walsh on Friday about the crisis. Mr Brown denied the situation on the other side of the Irish Sea is "out of control".

There have now been 139 cases of Foot and Mouth disease confirmed by the British, including one case in the North.

On Friday Minister of State Hugh Byrne slammed the response by London to the crisis and called for Britain to be treated as the "leper of Europe".