North's ports closed to animal movement

Agriculture officials in Northern Ireland tonight moved decisively to close ports to all animal movement from Britain to the North following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Surrey.

Stormont Agriculture Minster Michelle Gildernew confirmed that all animal movement had been restricted following the outbreak in a farm outside Guildford.

Her officials were also tracing back all movements of animals from Britain to Northern Ireland over the last month to check if any came from the area where the outbreak in cattle occurred.

“The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is acting quickly,” she said.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that this outbreak does not spread here.

“We hope that farmers will work with us to keep the disease out.”

The Sinn Féin minister also confirmed he had been in contact with officials in Defra in England and in the Department of Agriculture in the Republic of Ireland.