The North's agriculture minister has ordered the slaughter of a flock of sheep in south Armagh as fears grow that foot-and-mouth disease might have spread to Northern Ireland.
Last night Mrs Brid Rodgers confirmed that, following preliminary clinical tests, she believed the suspect sheep had been infected.
"It is now my belief that we are looking at an outbreak of this disease in Northern Ireland ... We will now carry out immediate surveillance on neighbouring farms. However, as yet, no decision has been taken to slaughter any animals other than those on the farm in question," she said.
A consignment of 200 sheep was bought at a market in Carlisle more than a week ago - before the disease was confirmed in Britain - and transferred to the North for slaughter. However, Department of Agriculture officials yesterday traced a number of them to a farm in Meigh, near Newry.
Mrs Rodgers ordered the farm, which straddles the Border, to be placed under restriction and have an eightkilometre surveillance zone established around it. It is believed most of the sheep from the consignment may have ended up in the Republic.
The sheep found in Meigh were destroyed and their carcasses incinerated as officials began questioning a number of people involved in importing the animals. The definitive results of testing is expected within four days.
Mrs Rodgers said she had advised the authorities in the Republic and Britain. After meeting senior officials and farmers' representatives in Belfast yesterday, she added: "This illustrates the consequences of people ignoring the rules which are in place to protect the livelihoods of farmers and the wellbeing of our agri-food industry."
The minister said she was "viewing with concern" the case of a sheep from a farm in the Castlederg area of Co Tyrone, which presented symptoms reminiscent of the disease.
Mrs Rodgers announced bans on movement of livestock other than for slaughter, the holding of livestock auctions and the closure of all agricultural colleges until further notice.
The outbreak, if confirmed, will be the first in the North in 60 years. Farmers' leaders expressed shock but appealed to farmers not to panic. "Keep people off your farm and put disinfectant down," the Ulster Farmers' Union deputy president, Mr John Gilliland, said. "Stay calm and close the place down. Treat it like a fortress." An Ulster Unionist MLA, Mr Danny Kennedy, criticised the agriculture minister and her department for not putting in place "effective, fast and precautionary" measures against the disease.
Sinn Fein has called for the movement of British soldiers in south Armagh to be restricted to avoid the spread of the disease.
The army said it was taking precautions but could not cease its activities because of the dissident Republican threat.