Scudamore meets farmers as foot-and-mouth cases rise

Chief vet Jim Scudamore is meeting farmers whose animals face compulsory slaughter after the highest daily total of foot-and-mouth outbreaks.

Three more cases of the disease - all in Cumbria - have been confirmed, bringing Sunday's total to 28 outbreaks.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food said the new cases took the overall number to 326.

Mr Scudamore is meeting farming leaders in Cumbria to explain the reasons for wanting to slaughter healthy animals to create "firebreaks" around affected farms in an effort to contain the disease.

The latest three outbreaks are a cattle farm at Wigton, a cattle and sheep farm at Penrith and a small sheep and cattle holding at Kirkhampton, Carlisle.