A PALL of smoke hung over one of the main trunk roads from the North-East to Scotland yesterday, as the latest pyre of farm animals in the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic was lit.

Motorists faced a lengthy diversion as police closed off a five-mile section of the A68 near Shotley Bridge, shortly before noon, when the fire was lit by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (Maff).

Maff officials, dressed in white protective overalls and face masks, moved in to the smallholding at Carterway Heads, on the A68, after the disease was confirmed at the weekend.

More than 80 sheep and cattle, slaughtered following the outbreak, were placed on the pyre.

Police closed the road at the Scales Cross junction to the north and at the Carterway Heads junction to the south for several hours.

Motorists travelling south were diverted to Whittonstall and then Ebchester and Shotley Bridge, before rejoining the road at Carterway Heads. Those travelling north rejoined the road at Kiln Pit Hill junction.

Farmers in the area described how they had "battened down the hatches" in the hope that the disease would pass them by.

Cattle trader Peter Kemp, of Maiden Law, Lanchester, who keeps livestock on the land, was not available yesterday.

Ivor Ward, of neighbouring Redwell Hall Farm, said: "We are pretty worried and are not daring to go out of our farmhouses since we heard the news.

"All the farmers around here are staying in and keeping in touch with each other by telephone.

"Maff has checked all my sheep and have found no sign of the disease. Hopefully, we are seeing the tail end of the epidemic."

However, the number of confirmed cases in the UK rose again yesterday to 96.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 pupils who are trapped in their homes because of the crisis fear that their exams could suffer.

Schools are making urgent requests to examination boards to delay coursework, assignments, practicals, and to take missed lessons into account.

Haydon Bridge School, in rural Northumberland, has 240 pupils away from school.

Headteacher David Thompson said teenagers and their parents do not want to risk spreading the virus, but are concerned about the work they are missing.

He said: "We have written to examination boards to request an extension of deadlines."

In County Durham, all council employees living on infected farms have been asked to stay at home and two small schools - Hamsterley Primary and Forest in Teesdale Primary - have closed