HEART-rending experiences of foot-and-mouth were given to Euro-MPs visiting Northumberland last week.

The pain of the cull and the extra trauma caused by errors, confusion and lack of communication from officialdom were spelt out, and it was all noted by the members of the European Parliament's inquiry into last year's crisis.

Encarnacin Redondo, committee chairman, said the three-day visit had added greatly to their knowledge and understanding of how the crisis was managed. She believed people were pleased to see her committee visiting the area and had the impression that, for many, it was the first time anyone had listened to what they had to say.

On Friday of last week the committee visited Whiteside Law Farm at Hallington, near Hexham, where farmers Bill and Cath Aynsley lost all their sheep and cattle. Theirs was a harrowing account of freshly-born lambs being chased, caught and culled. That night they could not sleep as ewes bleated for their slaughtered off-spring.

The MEPs listened closely as Mr Aynsley explained that the disease had only shown up in some cows next to the roadside - yet the slaughtermen culled them last, by which time they were in a dreadful state.

He told of a lack of communication from the then Ministry of Agriculture and general confusion and errors.

Mrs Redondo said the pain of their experience was etched on the Aynsley's faces.

Martin Callanan, Conservative MEP for the North-East, who arranged the visit, said it had been one of many heart-rending stories the committee heard at first hand.

"I was determined the committee did not just sit in rooms in Brussels talking to experts," he said. "We brought them to the source of the problem to meet people on the ground in Northumberland and Durham."

It had been interesting for the committee to hear stories. Many of them distressing, of what had happened.

"The main thing that has kept coming up is that the attempt to control the whole thing, especially from Downing Street, was a failure," said Mr Callanan.

It was clear that when communications and control had been put on a local footing things had improved.

After the visit to Hallington, the MEPs went to Hexham mart where a sale was taking place and where they met more farmers and others for more discussions.

Robert Whitelock, auctioneer, welcomed the visitors and said the last 15 months had been particularly hard for all in agriculture and associated industries.

Brian Hodgson, chairman of the North Riding and Durham County NFU, spent 30 minutes with Albert-Jaan Maatt, a Dutch MEP and senior member of the inquiry team. One of the main topics they discussed was vaccination as a tool to organise the cull more efficiently.

"You vaccinate to stop the spread of the disease but you still have to cull," said Mr Hodgson. "In Holland they vaccinated, but they culled nearly as many animals as we did."

If it had been introduced half way through the crisis, he believed it could have made things worse. However, it was something which had to be looked at for the future.

Mr John Rider, former county chairman, was with several MEPs who were worried about the British Government's continued lack of action on border controls.

He also told of the Government's apparent reluctance to introduce the vigorous Blue Box controls on movements until the disease got close to the East Riding pig population.

The committee is also studying foot-and-mouth outbreaks on the Continent and expects to publish its full report in November. It will gives its findings on how the UK crisis was handled, the cause of the outbreak, and its views on vaccination