A TOP Charolais breeder is losing thousands of pounds because the foot-and-mouth crisis is forcing him to sell pedigree cattle for meat.

Mr Billy Turner, with his daughter Miss Sarah Turner of Brampton Hall Farm, Skelton-on-Ure, near Ripon, has a stock of 300 breeding beasts in this popular strain of cattle.

His daughter now runs the Charolais side of the stock farm, which has been in existence for 40 years. She has not left the farm for the past five or six months as a precaution against the disease hitting the herd.

"We are fortunate in that it hasn't reached here, but having said that we are losing a considerable amount by having to sell our stock for meat at very much reduced prices," said Mr Turner.

"For example, a prize beast would usually sell for between £2,500 and £3,000. We are having to let them go for meat for as little as £600-£700.

"Because we cannot move them, once they get to 30-months-old, we have to let them go. No one wants an old bull or heifer for breeding."

The farm has produced several champions in the past at shows such as the Great Yorkshire and the Royal at Stoneleigh where the Turners won the Burke trophy.

"But there haven't been any shows this year so we haven't got any champions at the moment.

"Trouble is, there looks to be no end in sight to our problem, as we cannot envisage being allowed to sell any of our stock in the foreseeable future. It is very distressing all round."