Fears that disease has struck in dale

Livestock at Noah's Ark Farm, on the fells above Stanhope, in Weardale, were slaughtered yesterday after the farm was designated a dangerous contact.

There were unconfirmed reports that someone on the farm had been working within an infected area of Northumberland.

Farmer David Anderson, who was last night too upset to speak, is awaiting test results to see whether his culled sheep and cows had the disease.

The farm is only a few miles from the nearest confirmed case in Blanchland, over the Northumberland border.

The suggestion that the disease could have a hold in Weardale has sent shockwaves through the community. Upper Weardale remained untouched by the disease earlier in the epidemic.

Chairman of the Weardale branch of the National Farmers' Union, John Anderson, said people in the dale had been on a edge all summer.

Farplace Animal Rescue Centre, based in Westgate, already lies within the 400 square mile Blue Box bio-security zone.

Owner Jan Edwards, who is campaigning for vaccinations for pets and rescue animals, said: "We're very, very scared.

"At the moment we're going through Stanhope to get animal feed. We're running short of places to buy food because we want to avoid infected areas."

Sally Rowley runs the Weardale Animal Rescue Centre near Stanhope.

She said the first she knew of the cull was when she reached the end of her driveway and saw a lamb being killed in the field opposite.

"They will have a fight on their hands if they want to take my centre out," she said.

"I've watched all my animals growing up, and I just look at them and think, 'how long have they got?'"

* North-East Euro MP Stephen Hughes was last night locked in talks with the European Commission over the Inkerman burial site.

Mr Hughes is appealing to the commission to use its powers to enforce the closure of the Tow Law site while they investigate claims that is has breached European environment laws.

Read more about foot-and-mouth here.