FOOT-and-mouth this week claimed a County Durham farm which last year attracted more than 50,000 visitors.

Hall Hill Farm near Lanchester fell victim on Tuesday when more than 1,400 sheep, five cattle, two pigs, three llamas, 12 goats and three deer were culled.

Normally Easter would be one of its busiest times with hundreds of parents and children calling to see and feed the lambs.

Mr Jack Gibson and his daughter, Mrs Ann Darlington, opened the farm to the public in 1981. As it grew, a schools' centre was built and Mrs Darlington and the farm won several awards.

The entire family and workforce is devastated. Foot-and-mouth had struck at two neighbouring farms and Hall Hill took every precaution in the hope they would avoid it.

Now all that is left are a few donkeys and ponies, rabbits and chickens. Mrs Darlington said that once they had got through the catastrophe, they would probably eventually hope to open again.

Another distraught family was Mr and Mrs John Hutchinson who had the disease confirmed at their Hill House Farm, near Woodland, on Monday.

Foot-and-mouth is now creeping steadily across the landscape, with a case discovered at Woodland this week along with further ones at Hamsterley and Toft Hill.

Cases confirmed yesterday included the farms of Mr Anthony Coatsworth, trading as Linburn Hall, Hamsterley, where 100 cattle and 500 sheep are involved, and Mr R H Thompson, of Whins Farm, Newfield, who has already lost 200 sheep to the disease at Edgeknowle Farm, Hamsterley.

Mr Phil Barber, NFU branch secretary, was disturbed it had taken too long for animals to be destroyed from the time of confirmation at Hill House Farm.

"John had to milk the cows three times before they were eventually shot," he said. He confirmed that the family also had cattle at Stainton, near Barnard Castle, which it seemed likely would also have to be destroyed.

Asked whether a 3km firebreak would be implemented in Teesdale, Mr Barber said there had never been a case for it on that side of the hill.

There had been talk of slaughter on contiguous farms, but he felt that was just on a wish list at the moment. "The system seems to be in total disarray," he added.

"Although I hope there are no more cases in Teesdale, there is no reason to suppose that we have seen the last of it."

An outbreak has also been confirmed at Mayland Hall at Hamsterley, the home of Teesdale district councillor Derek Peart and his wife, Juliet.

The saw their entire pedigree and commercial stock of 122 cattle, 100 sheep and several lambs slaughtered on Tuesday.

The first animal to show signs of the disease was a Charolais bull, closely followed by two others in the same byre.

The couple had taken every possible precaution against infection, venturing from the farm only for necessities, since the first case was confirmed in the village at the end of February.

The Wiper family of Houghton House Farm, Toft Hill, also fell victim on Monday, losing 260 sheep and 57 cattle.

Across in Weardale, a double tragedy befell the Vickers family of Tow Law. Mrs Linda Vickers, whose husband Mike died earlier this month, learned on Saturday that her stock at Greenwell Farm was infected.

Other reported cases in the county during the past week include:

B R & S Fell, Nafferton Farm, Brancepeth; Mr C S Whitfield, High Hedley Hope Farm, Tow Law; Mr G N Stobbs, High Wiserley, Wolsingham; Mr D Wells, Middle Shipley Farm, Hamsterley. Messrs W H Smith & Sons, West Shields Farm, Satley; T E Marley, Park Wall Farm, Tow Law; Mr Layfield, Nackshivan Farm, Crook; Mr H A Hawksby, Greyswell Farm, Tow Law; Messrs Carpenter & Sons, Rare Dean Farm, Cornsay; Mr F Whitfield & Son, East Park Farm, Tow Law