TRADING standards officers are calling for a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic which has wrought havoc in the countryside.

The move has been accompanied by criticism of the way the Government has handled the crisis.

Stuart Pudney, head of trading standards for North Yorkshire County Council, said: "There will be a need for a public inquiry, quite definitely, and establish lessons to be learned for the future.

"It is too early to say what went wrong, but we need to make sure that if there are outbreaks in the future they can be dealt with properly."

Allan Charlesworth, chief executive of the Trading Standards Institute, said the epidemic had been an economic, social and environmental disaster.

He said: "This requires the fullest scrutiny in a public arena, chaired by a top judge."

The institute also criticised the Government's failure to recognise that the closure of abattoirs and encouraging the long-distance movement of animals could cause the rapid spread of the disease.

It said decisions to close the countryside were taken without any thought of the effects on tourism and rural life.

Restrictions hope - Page 7