MORE foot-and-mouth restrictions have been lifted in the region, bringing hopes that the North-East could be close to getting rid of the disease.

The announcement by the Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre applied to farms in Ponteland and Hallington, in Northumberland.

The lifting of the D Zone restrictions, imposed three kilometres around a foot-and-mouth hit farm, means the relaxation of movement of animals and the strict hygiene conditions placed on the movement of people, vehicles and machinery.

It comes as the North-East has remained disease-free for a month.

While cases continue to surface in North Yorkshire, the last North-East case was on June 3 at Walworth Gate, near Darlington.

Gordon Kingston, regional operations director at the disease centre, said they were "encouraged" by the lack of cases in the North-East. But he warned the region still remained vulnerable.

"New cases could arise in the region at any time and we are far from complacent," he said, urging everyone in the countryside to continue to observe all regulations on bio-security.

County Durham has seen 92 outbreaks with 56 in Northumberland, six in Tyne and Wear and five in Teesside.

David Maughan, National Farmers Union livestock committee chairman for Durham and Northumberland, said he was pleased there had been no new cases in the North-East.

But he said farmers were still anxious about the results of forthcoming animal blood tests, which have to be taken before D Zone restrictions can be lifted.

He also said they were concerned ramblers could walk foot-and-mouth back into the area.

"It only takes someone who is careless, and goes into an area and comes back with it, to start it off again," he said.

Foot-and-mouth is still heavily entrenched in North Yorkshire, which has suffered 93 outbreaks, the latest at Lealholm, Whitby, on Monday.

* One case was recorded in Cumbria yesterday, bringing the national total so far to 1,808.