Farmers in South West England fear 'appalling scenario'

Farmers in south west England are to learn whether the outbreak of foot and mouth disease has spread across the region from a Devon farm where it has been confirmed.

The region's first outbreak, the seventh nationwide, was confirmed on Sunday at Burdon Farm, Highampton, which is run by livestock dealer William Cleave.

Ministry of Agriculture vets worked through the night carrying out tests on livestock at 12 other farms, 10 in Devon and two in Cornwall, owned by Mr Cleave.

The results are expected to be announced later this morning following a meeting at MAFF regional headquarters in Exeter.

An eight-kilometre exclusion zone remains around the Highampton farm, near Hatherleigh, where there are a total of 600 cattle and 1,500 sheep which all face slaughter.

Mr Cleave, who faces the prospect of losing all his livestock, blamed the outbreak on his farm on sheep he bought recently in Northumberland at market.

The chairman of Devon NFU, beef farmer David Hill, said the outbreak of foot-and-mouth at Mr Cleave's farm was "just about the worst possible scenario".

He said Mr Cleave farmed at a number of locations with "cattle and sheep spread all over them".

Mr Hill said farmers had been telephoning him until midnight asking what they would do to prevent the disease reaching them.

The NFU's south west regional director, Anthony Gibson, feared the latest foot and mouth outbreak could be even worse than the 1967 outbreak. He said it had the potential already to be on dozens, scores or even hundreds of farms