A leading scientist has said the UK foot-and-mouth crisis will not peak until early May at the earliest.
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Prof Roy Anderson, the epidemiologist called in by Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) to prepare projections of the likely pattern of disease said that was the "best case" scenario.
His projections show the outbreak will not be eliminated until at least August, BBC2's Newsnightreported last night.
"I think everyone is in agreement - the government, the farming community and the independent scientific advice - that this epidemic is not under control at the current point in time," Prof Anderson said.
"If this cull is applied vigorously and effectively enough you could turn the epidemic into a decaying process hopefully within a month to two months.
"Doing something even better than that I'm not convinced is possible at the moment."
Prof Anderson said the current outbreak was set to be worse than the 1967 crisis because of the widespread nature of infection. He said changes in farming practice and the increase in movements of livestock across Britain had contributed to the spread.
He also blamed the decline in the numbers of vets available to spot the disease and said the current crisis was "an epidemic waiting to happen".
Meanwhile the British government was expected to face renewed pressure to vaccinate livestock against foot-and-mouth after the Netherlands announced it was initiating an inoculation programme.
The Dutch authorities responded to the confirmation of the first cases of the disease in their country by saying they would go ahead with the vaccination of animals to prevent proliferation.
Until now EU states have avoided vaccination as they would lose their foot-and-mouth free status in world markets (inoculated animals carry the same antibodies as infected livestock).
Britain has clung to a strategy of slaughter and on Monday in Brussels British Agriculture Minister Mr Nick Brown said that vaccination would represent a "substantial retreat".
But yesterday, as the total number of cases pushed past the 400 mark to 430, his deputy Baroness Hayman suggested they may have to rethink their position.
PA