A FARMER'S wife this week spoke of the strain of living in the vicinity of five outbreaks of foot and mouth disease.

"It is extremely frightening, I really can't explain how terrifying it is," said Mrs Angela Thompson.

She and her family have lived in self-imposed quarantine since February 27. "It is terrifying to think that if the disease did spread here it would mean all our cattle and sheep would have to go."

Mrs Thompson lives at Lunton Hill, Woodland, with husband, John, and children Robert, four, and James, aged two. She last left the farm on the morning of February 27, to take James for an appointment at Bishop Auckland hospital.

"We were very lucky really; we heard snow was forecast so we went straight from hospital to the supermarket and stocked up," said Mrs Thompson, whose in-laws at neighbouring Softley Farm, Butterknowle, have also not ventured from their farm.

That afternoon they heard cases had been confirmed at nearby Wolsingham and Witton-le-Wear. At the weekend the Hamsterley outbreak was confirmed, as later were a second and third at Witton-le-Wear.

"Usually in a farming crisis farmers pull together and meet and chat together but in this instance we have not seen anyone," said Mrs Thompson.

"We have spoken to friends on the telephone but you do feel very isolated."

Mr Thompson is the only person to have left the farm, but only to help feed the cattle and do other essential jobs at Softley Farm. The only other caller there is the milk tanker

His parents, George and Joan Thompson, and brother Andrew won this year's Durham Grassland silage competition last month. They have a 100-strong dairy herd at Softley while Mr John Thompson has several hundred sheep on his land.

Mrs Thompson normally works in the conveyancing section of Latimer Hinks solicitors in Darlington.

Mrs Jacqui Jones, practice manager, said Mrs Thompson had their full support in her action. "We work with a wide cross section of the agricultural community in this area, and it is vitally important that the whole community does as much as possible to help contain this terrible outbreak," she said.

For the duration, the firm is not visiting farming clients but conducting business over the telephone. "We all have a responsibility to do what we can."

Mrs Thompson, who was surprised not to have received any information or advice from MAFF, is doing what work she can from home and is looking after her sons who normally attend nursery in Staindrop two days a week.

The Thompsons have about one week's supply of food left.

"There is a shop in the village which we may resort to, but it will only be one of us doing the shopping for all of us to keep the number of people coming in and out of the farm to the minimum.