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

The announcement by the Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre applied to farms in Ponteland south west 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 the farm of Robert and John Archer at New Moor Farm, Walworth Gate, 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.

"We would encourage everyone in the countryside, farmers and visitors, to continue to observe all the regulations on bio-security. We are a long way from the end of our work."

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 amblers could walk foot-and-mouth back into the area.

"We're in that awkward period where people are beginning to believe it really has gone away, but 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.

Read more about foot and mouth here.

Updated: 15.20 Tuesday, July 3