THE slaughter of more than 14,000 sheep and cattle is under way as the foot-and-mouth outbreak around Thirsk worsens.

The cull is being carried out on farms surrounding the town in a desperate bid to halt the disease's progress.

Infected stock were slaughtered at Kepwick Mill at Nether Silton, Kepwick Lodge farm at Kepwick, Leake Lane in Little Leake, West Acre farm at Boltby and Piper Hill on the Cowesby Hall estate. The first outbreak in the Vale of York was confirmed on Thursday of last week at Manor Farm near Kirby Knowle, where more than 2,000 sheep plus lambs were slaughtered.

In total, more than 700 cattle and 3,000 sheep were culled. But bigger losses were faced by neighbouring farmers. Between them, the six infected farms clocked up 11 dangerous contacts and 21 contiguous sites, meaning more than 10,000 sheep and cattle will have to be slaughtered.

Some farmers in the Vale of York are preparing to refuse government vets access to their land to carry out the culls.

Diane Ellis, Yorkshire co-ordinator for the pressure group Ground Force, said it was advising landowners on how to blockade farms and legally refuse to co-operate with the slaughter policy.

She said: "Farmers can make a stand. The government wants to create a firebreak, but it isn't working - it didn't work in February and it won't work in July."

Foot-and-mouth experts yesterday said millions of animals across the country would have to be vaccinated if the disease was not stamped out in the next few weeks.

The virus is naturally killed off by ultraviolet light during sunny periods in the summer. But it shows no signs of abating before autumn when the cold, wet weather provides foot-and-mouth with ideal breeding conditions.

Farmers faced an anxious wait this week as the disease crept into the biggest pig-farming region in Britain.

The Vale of York, the western end of the farming area known as the pig belt, has been struck with six cases of the virus this week around Thirsk.

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