Seven more foot and mouth cases found in Britain

Seven more cases of foot and mouth have been confirmed across six British counties, taking the total number of cases to 103.

Britain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food says the new cases surfaced in Derbyshire, Cumbria, Devon, Dumfries and Galloway, Essex and Anglesey, Wales.

All but one of the cases have been confirmed at sheep and cattle farms, while Marsh Farm at South Woodham Ferrers in Essex will now see its entire livestock of 480 sheep, 430 pigs, 26 cattle and two goats slaughtered after the disease was found there.

A spokeswoman for the county's trading standards department said staff at the farm were "devastated" by the news.

MAFF said the other farms to be affected were at Wigton in Cumbria, Beaworthy in Devon, Canonbie in Dumfries and Galloway, Springfield in Dumfries and Galloway, Marston on Dove in Derbyshire and Llanddaniel Fab in Anglesey, Wales.

Officials are searching for links between the new cases and previous outbreaks. It also emerged that last night's decision to postpone Cheltenham's prestigious horseracing festival could cost up to £10m in lost trade.

As many as 175,000 punters are set to flock to the races next week from as far a field as Ireland and France for one of the main dates of the racing calendar.

However, the event's organisers and businesses in the area are counting the potential cost of the prestigious three-day festival being delayed, hoping that it will be able to go ahead next month instead.

Tourism officials warned the cancellation was also likely to have a knock-on effect on the Gloucestershire town's restaurants, bed and breakfast industry, traders and even taxi drivers.