THE owners of a pedigree Swaledale ram have received £50,000 compensation after it was culled as part of the foot and mouth crisis.

Mossdale Nuggett was bred on the Mossdale Farm, near Hawes, and bought by Mr Eric Nelson and Mr Robbie Cowperthwaite as a shearling four years ago.

It attracted huge interest when he was put up for sale at Hawes show in 1997 and had produced a string of valuable rams before foot and mouth struck.

Nuggett was destroyed by ministry vets along with a further 1,000 sheep and 225 cattle on Mr Cowperthwaite's farm at Settle on May 24.

Ironically Mossdale Nuggett would still be alive today if Mr Nelson had decided to take custody at his farm in nearby Clapham, which remains free of the disease.

Mr Cowperthwaite said: "It seems like a big payment but we are only getting back what we paid.

"The compensation will help us stock up but it could be months before we are able to do that.

"We will be lucky to find another ram as good as that one, he was a one-off. At the time we bought him it was a record for the breed, but he was worth every penny."

DEFRA said the £50,000 is the largest amount paid for a single animal.