THE worst fears of farmers in one of the region's leading agricultural areas were confirmed during the weekend when foot-and-mouth disease spread to a further three farms.

Farmers in the Vale of York had been braced for the worst after the disease was confirmed at Manor Farm, Kirby Knowle, near Thirsk, on Thursday.

About 2,000 sheep and lambs were slaughtered along with 188 cattle on the estate.

Animals were also culled on 14 neighbouring farms in a bid to halt the spread of the disease.

But over the weekend, foot-and-mouth was confirmed at a further three farms in the vale - and the slaughter spread to a further half a dozen farms neighbouring the new cases.

Ian Woodhead, of Cowesby Hall, at Kirby Knowle, which has been confirmed with foot-and-mouth, explained that although 79 cattle and 571 sheep plus lambs were slaughtered at that farm, his family have a total of five farms in the area and 2,600 acres.

He said that because they farm them all as one operation, about 5,000 of his animals have had to be slaughtered because of the risk of spreading the disease.

"Whenever they have a confirmed case they never explain the full situation. The Government is hiding the real number of animals that are killed," he said.

Slaughtermen have been working at Mr Woodhead's farms for the past four days.

His family have farmed in the area for about 80 years.

Yesterday, he helped gather sheep off moorland at Kepwick for slaughter, and described how as far as the eye could see, there were piles of dead animals being loaded on to lorries.

"It's clearing the landscape," he said. "If it's the only way forward we have to do it. It's very grim and I just hope that this will be an end to it and there'll be no more cases."

Elizabeth Swinbank, of West Acre Farm, near Boltby, which was confirmed as having foot-and-mouth disease, praised the way Defra slaughtermen had carried out the culling of her 600 sheep and 40 cattle.

"They got two fields of sheep in by themselves, did the job and we neither heard or saw anything. Although it's happened and we have lost them, there's no horrific memories."

The third case of foot-and-mouth was confirmed yesterday, at Kepwick Mill, in Leake Lane, Little Leake, where 12 cattle were slaughtered.

The disease is also continuing to spread at Lealholm, near Whitby, where a case was confirmed at Fryup End Farm, on Thursday, resulting in 102 cattle being slaughtered, as well as livestock on five neighbouring farms.

A further case was confirmed on Saturday, at Wilks Farm, where 505 cattle were slaughtered

Read more about foot-and-mouth crisis here.