THE Government last night moved to reassure the nation of its grip on the foot-and-mouth crisis, despite a record 25 new confirmed cases yesterday.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown said he was "absolutely certain" the situation was under control, as the UK toll rose to 164, including five new North-East cases over the weekend.

The total number of cases in County Durham has risen to 12, with ten in other parts of the North-East and one in North Yorkshire.

The latest to fall victim to the outbreak are: Barracks Farm, Tow Law; Edge Knowle Farm, Hamsterley, near Bishop Auckland; East Broomfields Farm at Satley, between Tow Law and Consett; Castlewood Farm, Thornley Village, near Fir Tree, Bishop Auckland; and Ash Tree Farm, East Heddon, near Heddon-on-the-Wall.

As rural businesses begin to look with despair to the traditional date for the start of the tourism industry at Easter, the full impact of the disease on that part of the fragile rural economy is starting to emerge.

Estimates put the national impact on tourism of the closure of the countryside at £200m. But Mr Brown said the impact of letting the foot-and-mouth disease run its course freely would be even worse for tourism. "The current strategy is to eliminate it, and that is as important for the tourist industry as the livestock industry," he said.

He defended his handling of the crisis, adding: "It's under control. What we don't know is how much is incubating, having spread before the movement restrictions were put in place.

"I know it's hard, I know it's disruptive, but this is the right thing to do.

"All the outbreaks trace back to the original source of infectivity - of course there are more than we would have hoped for, but it doesn't undermine the overall strategy."

He said the movement of thousands of carcasses to a rendering plant in Cheshire would help to clear a backlog.

Conservative agriculture spokesman Tim Yeo said the situation was approaching a "national emergency" and that the Army should be called in to help with incinerating animal carcasses left lying in fields.

Cheshire has had no confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth and some farmers fear the process could add to the spread of the disease.

But Mr Brown said more than 30 lorries being used had been thoroughly sealed and tested and would be taken to the plant under escort.

Nearly 500 vets are dealing with the outbreak, including experts from the US, Australia and Europe.

Yesterday's new cases included nine in Cumbria, four in Devon, three in Scotland and single cases in Kent, Powys, Worcester, Derbyshire, Gloucester and Herefordshire.

A total of 114,082 animals has been destroyed and a further 30,739 are awaiting slaughter.

Ian Gardiner, deputy director general of the NFU, said farmers were facing an "horrific" situation.

"I think this week will see the rate going faster. One of the problems is that it's spreading across the face of Britain, it's not just in one area."

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