A FARMER has condemned thieves who he says have risked spreading foot-and-mouth in the country's main hotspot by stealing disinfectant equipment.

Jonathan Fairburn said the thieves had put his farm, in the bio-security fortress area, in North Yorkshire, in jeopardy.

Mr Fairburn, of Griff Farm, near Helmsley, said: "Without this equipment we cannot disinfect people coming on to the farm, which is increasing the risk of spreading foot-and-mouth."

He was required to place footbaths, disinfectant spray and brushes at the entrance to his farm, like every other farmer in the 900-square mile bio-security zone.

"I woke up and found my brush and my sprayer had been stolen - the entrance is some way from the farm, so I could not have seen who did it," he said.

"It has cost me £35 to replace and I simply cannot believe someone is going around stealing these items at such a critical time as this."

Meanwhile, farmers in Lower Nidderdale have erected their own footpath notices, asking walkers to keep away from livestock.

They took the go-it-alone stance after expressing fury that the Government decided to reopen footpaths and ordered footpath closure signs to be removed.

Furious farmers, who met at Hampsthwaite, near Harrogate, said footpaths had been opened with the area at greater risk than when the outbreak started earlier this year.

County councillor for Hampsthwaite, Killinghall and New Park, Heather Garnet, said: "If the disease does arrive, all tourism will stop and the economy of the valley will be far worse than at present. I entirely support the farmers' concerns and think the Government is wrong to reopen paths."

Read more about foot-and-mouth here.