British countryside out of bounds as foot-and-mouth spreads

Large areas of Britain's countryside are out of bounds to city and rural dwellers as British Government officials try to halt the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

A third case has been confirmed in cattle on a farm in Great Warley, near Brentwood in Essex.

There is an exclusion zone already in place around the farm which is near the site of the original outbreak at an abattoir and neighbouring farm in Little Warley, near Brentwood.

A farm in Heddon-on-the-Wall in Northumberland has also been subjected to a five-mile exclusion zone following suspected cases of foot-and-mouth in pigs.

The news comes as around 600 farms are under emergency restrictions in a desperate attempt to stop an epidemic.

British Agriculture Minister Nick Brown says people should stay away from high-risk areas. "For the public this involves reducing contact with livestock and farms, for farmers it means operating the highest standards of hygiene," he said.

People living in towns in infected areas who have no contact with farm animals need take no special precautions but MAFF say they should travel on main roads where possible and respect any warning signs regarding disease.

Zoos have been warned to keep an eye on animals which could contract the disease and all hunting has been cancelled for a week.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the outbreak is the last thing that farmers need and has promised to consider a compensation package.