HILL farmers are awaiting test results to see if foot-and-mouth has spread to the moorland flocks in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.

Following the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth at Westerdale in the national park the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs carried out a contiguous cull at five neighbouring premises in a bid to contain the disease.

Foot-and-mouth was confirmed at Waites House last Friday and at High House Farm on Sunday, which was one of the premises included in the contiguous cull.

A total of 1,558 sheep and lambs and 503 cattle have been slaughtered at the six farms.

Now farmers are waiting for the blood test results from nearby hefted flocks which department officials expect back within a week.

Mr Shane Harris of North Yorkshire Moors National Park, said: "It's a waiting game really. It's very worrying. Westerdale is right in the heart of the park on the edge of the open moor.

"We are very concerned about the potential implications of these two cases, it is very worrying for the farming community.

"It's very distressing for everyone because that part of the park is only a spit away from Farndale and Rosedale and if it's in the hill flock it could have implications for a much wider area."

With a total of 40,000 sheep on the moors in the national park, there is concern about the effect on the whole area if the virus has spread.

A spokesman for the DEFRA explained that if this is the case the way they tackle the outbreak will depend on how long the sheep have had the disease.

"If the results come back slight positive that means that the virus hasn't been present for very long, so we would cull those animals in that hefted flock.

"Truly hefted flocks don't mix so there would only be a tiny chance that they could have passed it on. However, if the results show the virus has been there for weeks and weeks it's a different ball game.

"We would take out the infected flock and monitor the situation. We would only take surrounding flocks out as a last resort because of the hefted nature of the sheep."

Mr Derek Watson, chairman of the North Yorkshire branch of the NFU, said that the entire landscape of the moors, which was adapted to sheep farming, could be at risk if there were further outbreaks.

"Everyone is hoping we won't see another Settle. It would be devastating for agriculture and the tourism industry."

The DEFRA spokesman denied reports thatdrivers of two lorries containing carcasses had stopped overnight at the Lion Inn at Blakey, Kirkbymoorside.