Foot-and-mouth: sixth outbreak revealed

A sixth outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been revealed.

Chief veterinary officer Jim Scudamore says the outbreak, which has affected cattle, is in Ponteland, Northumberland.

The farm is only four miles away from the Heddon-on-the-Wall outbreak.

The news comes as Agriculture Minister Nick Brown prepares to order a seven-day ban on all movements of livestock within Britain.

Peter Kingwill, chairman of the Livestock Auctioneers' Association, said a formal announcement is expected soon.

Investigators are continuing to focus on the possibility the pig farm at Heddon-on-the-Wall may have been responsible for spreading the disease.

Scotland has also suffered its first suspected cases of foot-and-mouth with investigators converging on a number of sites.

In England, officials at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food said foot-and-mouth had now been confirmed at the farm in Heddon-on-the-Wall, thought to be the possible source for the outbreak.

Mr Brown said he believed MAFF officials had traced the source but he was still unable to confirm anything.

Earlier, A MAFF spokesman said animals at the Heddon-on-the-Wall farm may have had the disease for some time.