FARMERS fearing a fresh outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease have expressed disquiet that a funfair is being staged on their doorstep.

The fair, which started last night and goes on over the weekend, is only a few hundred yards from one of the new disinfectant units manned by the Army.

Farmers, and others in the community at Stanhope, in Weardale, County Durham, say the fair should have been cancelled as soon as it was known the area was in a Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) red restriction zone.

But they are not blaming the funfair people for what they describe as "another shambles in a catalogue of mistakes" by Defra.

They knew nothing about the tightening up of biosecurity measures until the Army disinfectant ramp was installed across the A689.

Herbert Hutchinson, who farms in the dale and at nearby Hamsterley, said: "It's ridiculous to think you have people driving through a tight biosecurity measure straight into a funfair.

"People will congregate here from all over the area when farmers are doing everything they possibly can to prevent further outbreaks of foot-and-mouth.

"They are not doing the farming community any favours."

Mr Hutchinson added: "It may seem easy to talk with hindsight, but the fair should have been cancelled at the same time as the agricultural show."

Farmer Eric Goland, who has had sheep culled because of the latest outbreak at nearby Blanchland, said: "For months we have been living in self-imposed exile.

"We thought we could finally see some light at the end of the tunnel, but now the door has been slammed firmly in our faces.

"My family will not be attending any social events and I cannot see many members of the farming community being at the funfair."

But farmer and Stanhope parish councillor Dennis Craig said he sympathised with the funfair people.

"It may be difficult to justify carrying on with the fair, but with the best will in the world, there is no way they could have known what Defra was planning.

"The way they have handled this latest introduction first of the Blue Box zone, and now the Red Box zone, has been an absolute shambles. Although it was announced on Sunday night, it wasn't until Thursday that we received a letter telling us about the Blue Box zone.

"It is frightening, not just for farmers but the whole community, the way Defra has attempted to handle the crisis."

Wear Valley District Council decided the funfair should be allowed to go ahead after consultation with Defra.

Paul Dobson, the council's director of community services, said they decided "commonsense should prevail" because the funfair was being staged on hard standing and not agricultural land.

He said: "This council has taken a strong stand in introducing restrictions in the Blue Box area, such as stopping grass cutting and street cleaning, but it could see no reason to stop the fair, which is outside the Blue Box."

Read more about foot-and-mouth here.