STRICT quarantine measures were last night in place at a pig farm at the centre of a classical swine fever scare.

Government officials imposed a ban on the movement of livestock, vehicles and people from the affected farm while blood tests took place on the herd.

The alert, at a farm in the Barnard Castle area of County Durham, was sparked when a post mortem on a pig showed suspect lesions.

Vets from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have visited the farm and are monitoring the situation.

A spokesman for Defra said the restrictions were a precautionary measure and it was optimistic it would not be a confirmed case.

The spokesman said: "Classical swine fever is a notifiable disease and can spread fairly quickly.

"Interim blood tests carried out so far have proved negative but further tests are taking place and we expect the final results on Monday."

The disease was eradicated from the UK in the 1960s but there have been at least three reported outbreaks since.

Ripon pig farmer Stewart Houston, an executive director of the National Pig Assocation, said: "This is a class A restriction which means all movements in and out of the farm are stopped.

"It is ultra-cautious but something that is welcomed. If there is a doubt, this kind of action must be taken."

Farmers have blamed diseases such as swine fever and foot-and-mouth on inadequate import controls allowing illegally imported foodstuffs to enter the country.

Two years ago officials from the National Farmers Union lobbied ports across the UK, including Teesport, in a bid to persuade the Government to step up controls.