FARMERS' concerns about the bluetongue outbreak intensified today as Gordon Brown announced there were now 11 cases of the disease.

The agriculture industry has already been affected by foot-and-mouth and on Friday government officials confirmed that cases of the virulent disease have spread.

The Prime Minister made a brief statement at Downing Street saying: "I've now come from a meeting of our special committee which has discussed the recent incidence and I've also been in discussions with the veterinary service and with the National Farmers' Union and its president.

Deputy chief vet Fred Landeg acknowledged movement controls would cost the industry tens of millions of pounds.

But he said there would be no compensation payments because no more culling would take place.

Peter Kendall, President of the National Farmers Union, said the virus was a "bitter blow" to the countryside.

A protection zone has been set up in Suffolk after Government vets confirmed bluetongue disease was circulating in the UK and was classed as an outbreak.

The zone will be a minimum of 150km (93 miles) around infected premises.

A stricter 20km control zone has also been set up around the known bluetongue cases, with restrictions preventing animals being moved out of both zones.

Test results show the disease was being transmitted by biting midges, "rather than animal to animal".