FARMERS have called for a major road through a North-East dale to be disinfected in an effort to save them from further foot-and-mouth misery.

Landowners along a stretch of Weardale, between the Cumbrian border and Wolsingham, in County Durham, fear the crisis is closing in on them from both east and west.

At either end of the A689 road, the disease has devastated communities and, as lambing season continues, uncertainty over the life-span of the fledgling flocks has farmers expecting the worst.

Michael and Barbara Coulthard, of Bridge End Farm, Westgate, said farmers had been pressing Durham County Council for two weeks to disinfect the road at two points, to stop the disease entering their part of the dale.

Following the weekend's voluntary decision to cull thousands of healthy animals in Wolsingham, to help stop the disease's spread, the farmers have reinforced their plea.

Mrs Coulthard, speaking on behalf of the dale's farmers, said: "We thank the farmers of Wolsingham who have suffered heartache and pain, culling their cattle and sheep to try to stop the spread of the foot-and-mouth disease in Weardale, and the general public have gone out of their way to help the farmers in the dale.

"Their concern and understanding has overwhelmed us all, so we feel asking Durham County Council to disinfect the road from Wolsingham to Frosterley, and also at Killhope, is a small token to ask.

"It is time every organisation involved in the countryside does its utmost to help rid this horrendous disease."

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 drivers.

"There are safety issues to take into account here, especially with the amount of heavy goods vehicles that use that road," he said.