FARMERS hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis say they are facing the added strain of waiting weeks for their compensation.

The Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (Maff), which has already paid out more than £12m, has assured farmers they will be compensated for their slaughtered livestock within five to seven days.

But many in the North-East have already waited two weeks for their money and could face longer delays as the administrative burden increases on Maff.

Billy Robson, who farms 1,000 acres at Tow Law and Edmondsley, has been waiting a fortnight for his compensation after having 700 sheep and 350 beef cattle slaughtered. He said: "I never take any notice of what the Government says."

Maff has changed the rules in a bid to speed up the process. Farmers can now choose to be paid a flat fee instead of waiting for a price for each animal before it is slaughtered.

A spokesman for Maff said the compensation claims sometimes took time because there were queries over valuation.

Farmers face years of work to restock their businesses.

Colin and Vivien Whitfield, of Tow Law, have been told they can only restock their 400 sheep and 670 beef cattle six months after the last outbreak occurs in the county.

But they say it will take five years before they reach anywhere near the same number of cattle that were slaughtered.

Farmers have called a stretch of the A689 road between the Cumbrian border and Wolsingham, to be disinfected.

A council spokesman said: "We are looking at the request."

But he said that it had not been the county's policy so far to put disinfecting straw mats on roads because it was seen as dangerous to driverse, especially with the amount of heavy goods vehicles that use the road.

A farmer would have to be identified as responsible for placing the straw, the application of the disinfectant and maintenance of the mat.