Phoenix must die, says Maff

A farmer is refusing to sacrifice a six-day-old calf which officials want to put to death.

Phoenix was found alive under a pile of animal carcasses, cowering under her slain mother. They were put to death in the foot-and-mouth cull.

Slaughtermen from the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food visited Fred Board's farm in Membury, East Devon, to complete the cull, but Mr Board, 59, who lost the rest of his 47 cattle, is adamant Phoenix does not need to die.

His farm is 'clean' - but the farm next door is infected with the virus. He is pleading with officials not to kill Phoenix, a milky white heifer calf.

A Maff team with slaughtermen, vets and police have twice visited the farm but have left without finishing their task.

"They are trying to kill her," Mr Board told Ananova. He heads the family-run farm.

"I will not let them take her. They have gone to get a court order or something to get on the farm and get their hands on Phoenix.

"We have been trying to keep them away from her. She's in my sister-in-law's garage and we're feeding her dried milk. It is a very difficult situation."

Maff officials say their team, aided by police officers, 'prudently withdrew' from the farm to seek legal advice. They are determined to kill Phoenix as part of the cull.

"Our advice is the cull should be finished to completion at the farm," said a spokesman. "It is regrettable for all animals to be in this situation, but we want to make sure this disease does not spread."