A FURTHER case of foot and mouth disease hit the region this week as the outbreak continues to sweep the country.

Marshall Green Farm is the second business at Witton-le-Wear to be have been officially confirmed as having the disease. Farmer Joseph Johnson declined to comment about the situation when the news was announced on Monday.

Last week Thompsons Abattoir, also in Witton-le-Wear, was among the first to fall victim to the outbreak.

Chairman of the village parish council Mrs Anne Hornsey said: "The parish council has no practical means of support but I think everybody's heart goes out to them at the moment.''

This week Coun Derek Jago, from Escomb, near Witton-le-Wear, called for walkers to stay off the Weardale Railway line, which passes behind the abattoir.

Coun Jago said he had been contacted by MAFF officials who were concerned that the mothballed track was being used as a footpath.

He said: "Technically anyone on the line is a trespasser anyway. It is still owned by Railtrack and it is private land.

"It actually runs through Witton Park and now there has been a second outbreak of foot and mouth we want to stop people who are walking and running from using that line.''

Last weekend the fires were burning in Weardale as infected livestock belonging to Wolsingham haulier Peter Monkhouse was destroyed.

The 37-year-old businessman is now facing the task of disinfecting the wagon yard, machinery and fences around his land in a bid to rid the area of the disease.

As well as 40 sheep belonging to Mr Monkhouse, a further 165 which were in a neighbouring field were also culled and burned as a precaution.

On Saturday, hopes that a pig farm in Hamsterley had escaped the disease were finally dashed as official confirmation was given.

MAFF officials had been keeping a close eye on the farm belonging to the Anderson family throughout last week but final tests revealed some of the stock had contracted foot and mouth.

National Farmers' Union representatives called for the dale roads between Teesdale and Weardale to be closed to tourists over the weekend but their request was turned down