TRADING standards officers are again warning farmers that animals found straying from land in infected areas will be destroyed.

Cattle, sheep, pigs and goats will be killed if their owners cannot be identified, North Yorkshire County Council said yesterday.

The council has received reports of animals wandering because owners had not ensured that fences and hedges are secure.

Owners who are traced may face prosecution for not checking and repairing fences, and risking the spread of the disease.

Chief executive Jeremy Walker said: "As the rate of increase of foot-and-mouth begins to slow, owners of animals must not become complacent.

"It vital that all fences and hedges are checked, as animals found straying face a real risk of being destroyed. It is a situation which could easily be avoided."