Thirsk Farmers' Auction Mart, in North Yorkshire, will today be the latest to begin trading again as the region's farming industry continues to emerge from the shadow of foot-and-mouth.

An earlier row between the mart and officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, over sheep in an adjacent field, has now been resolved.

Thirsk mart last held an auction on February 22, last year and remained shut throughout the foot-and-mouth crisis.

But owner Tony Thompson said he hoped many farmers would turn out to buy and sell.

He said: "We can't wait to get back to normal and begin trading again, and hopefully a lot of farmers will turn out from far and wide."

The auction mart will open at 7am, with a pig sale at 10am, sheep at 11.30am and cattle at 1pm.

Thirsk follows several marts that have already reopened in the region, including Hexham, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Northallerton.

Other marts in the region still to open include Stokesley, which is scheduled for Saturday, Penrith, on Monday, Hawes, Tuesday, and Kirkby Stephen, on March 3. Darlington mart, which was due to open on Monday, is now scheduled to open next Thursday.

21/02/2002