Farmers in North Yorkshire were operating under movements restrictions once more today after an outbreak of four new cases of foot-and-mouth disease.
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Four new foot-and-mouth cases in Britain
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Orders banning the transportation of livestock were reimposed in the Settle and Clitheroe areas last night after new cases diagnosed at the weekend near Settle brought the national total to 15 outbreaks in just 10 days.
Tim Palmer, group secretary of the Craven National Farmers' Union, said the disease was spreading at a ``worrying'' speed.
``We have held our breath and hoped it wouldn't come here but now farmers know the storm is going to hit us,'' he said.
Transport bans were imposed nationwide after the disease was first detected but licences giving farmers limited permission to move stock have gradually been issued as the situation has improved.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food said the restrictions had now been put back in place in the Settle and Clitheroe areas while investigators attempted to trace the source of the latest cluster.
``We believe the movements of animals and perhaps people are partly behind this latest outbreak and it was seen as a sensible precaution to reimpose the restrictions."
Farmers estimate that 50,000 animals in the area have already been culled but warn the figure could rise steeply if the disease spreads on to the hills, where there are thousands of sheep.
Concern has also been raised after the disease was confirmed at a farm nine miles south of the nucleus of the current outbreak.
North Yorkshire Police have issued a ``no-go'' plea while a culling operation is carried out in the area.
A spokesman said: ``Due to the problems with the slaughtering of animals and the removal of carcasses it is likely there will be severe disruption to roads, with several closed.
PA