A LIVESTOCK market was at the centre of a foot-and-mouth crisis for the fourth time in its history last night.

The sheep which sparked the region's latest outbreak, at Wolsingham, County Durham, was sold at auction at Darlington Farmers' Auction Mart, last week.

A spokesman for Darlington Trading Standards said "hundreds, probably thousands" of animals from the sale were being traced, along with livestock from two other trading days.

The sheep was sold on Monday, February 19, less than a week before the ban on livestock movement came into force, at a sale attended by about 135 buyers and sellers, with stock being sold to as far away as Essex.

Market chairman John Earle said trading had been fairly average on that day.

Trading had continued last Thursday before the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ordered the market to close on Friday, as part of the national ban.

The market has been disinfected, and all traders have been told of the incident.

The market was previously closed in the 1967 crisis, in 1975, when there were fears of an outbreak, and in 1980, when there was another false alarm.

Farmers in Teesdale were anxious last night as the disease spread closer to the hill farming community.

Auction marts in Middleton-in-Teesdale and Barnard Castle were closed on Friday.