WEARING a white suit and wellingtons, Mrs Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, visited a farm near Skipton on Monday.

Mr David Beresford, of High Ground Farm, near Hellifield, who had more than 280 cattle culled after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth on a neighbouring farm, talked of the trauma he experienced and the difficulties involved in disinfecting the farm for re-stocking.

Some buildings were modern and easier to clean; others were hundreds of years old and much more difficult - one might even have to be demolished.

He also spoke of the difficulties and dangers in dealing with slurry stores.

Mrs Beckett said she had wanted to see for herself the sheer scale of the efforts to get on top of the outbreak and the scale of what was required to mount an effective clean-up operation.

The Minister then met farmers and local business people. She stressed that the government was determined to eradicate the disease as quickly as possible but emphasised there were no easy or immediate solutions. She also pointed to the goodwill felt towards those who had suffered losses because of the outbreak.