Further charges against a pig farmer believed to be at the centre of last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak were dropped today because they were not in the public interest, the prosecution said.

Breeder Bobby Waugh, 57, of St Luke's Road, Pallion, Sunderland, was convicted in May of breaching a series of animal health regulations at his farm in Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, and was banned from keeping any livestock for 15 years.

At a pre-trial review today at Hexham Magistrates Court, Northumberland County Council formally told the ex-farmer it would not bring a second case against him relating to alleged breaches of animal movement restrictions before the outbreak last year which Waugh had denied.

Tom Finch, prosecuting, told the hearing the farmer had already been punished by the courts, was in poor health and had financial difficulties.

Charges relating to alleged illegal movement of animals against haulier Leslie Scurr, 37, of Smithfield Close, Ripon, North Yorkshire, have not been dropped, however.

In a statement outside the court, Mick King, of Northumberland County Council Trading Standards department, which had investigated Waugh, said today: ''We do not believe it is in the public interest to continue with this case.

''At an earlier trial in May of this year Bobby Waugh was convicted of some of the most serious animal health charges that exist.

''He has already received a 15-year ban from keeping livestock, which effectively ends his career in farming.

''Medical reports presented at that time showed that Bobby Waugh has a serious heart condition.

''The court also heard that he is facing severe financial difficulties.

''Given this background we do not feel that the court would be in a position to impose any meaningful penalty, if Bobby Waugh was found guilty of the additional charges.

''We continue to be of the view that the evidence could have led to a conviction had he stood trial.''

After the hearing, which Waugh attended, he said was delighted that the charges had been dropped and maintained his innocence against those charges.

During the first trial a video was shown of the farmer's pig fattening unit where foot-and-mouth disease was found after it was first discovered at an Essex abattoir which Waugh supplied in February last year.

Animal experts at the trial said the experienced breeder should have spotted that his depressed animals were sick but he had failed to notify the authorities.

The case against Scurr was adjourned until February 17 at Hexham Magistrates Court.

He faces 11 charges under the Animal Health Act and the Trade Descriptions Act alleged to have been committed on February 15, 2001.

They relate to illegally moving a pig, failing to comply with a licence condition, two counts of incomplete transport certificates, failing to complete a transport certificate and four counts of failing to transport animals without delay to their destination.

Under the Trade Descriptions Act he is charged with two counts of making false descriptions on transport documents.