FARMERS were staring into the abyss last night with confirmation that foot-and-mouth had spread into new areas of the North.

The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday announced two outbreaks of the disease in County Durham, as the nationwide total rose from 12 to 18.

Prime Minister Tony Blair called an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss the crisis as further measures were introduced to stop the spread of the disease.

The ban on the movement of livestock, which had been due to end on Friday, is to be extended for a further two weeks.

But Agriculture Minister Nick Brown said arrangements could be made to take animals free from the disease to slaughterhouses, under strictly controlled conditions.

Local authorities have been given the power to close footpaths in an attempt to stop ramblers spreading the disease.

Last night, the Government hinted it could review its policy of not vaccinating farm animals against foot-and-mouth disease.

Although there is a vaccine available, it is feared it would hamper detection of the disease, because it is impossible to distinguish between animals that have antibodies because of vaccination and animals that have antibodies because of disease.

Foot-and-mouth was yesterday confirmed at two sites in County Durham - a haulage firm at Wolsingham and an abattoir at Witton-le-Wear. The Wolsingham case was linked to a sheep sold at Darlington Mart.

Haulier Peter Monkhouse, speaking exclusively to The Northern Echo, said the news left him facing financial ruin.

He said: "I'm just despondent, sick and fed up.

"We're surrounded by farms here and I'm very sorry this has happened, but it isn't my fault - it just happened."

Thompson's abattoir in Witton-le-Wear was also confirmed as having a case of foot-and-mouth.

Teesdale farmer Richard Betton, former NFU chairman for County Durham and the North Riding, said the latest cases had sent a shudder of anxiety throughout the agricultural community.

He said: "It is terrifying and, for many people, it is too close for comfort.

"It is now a matter of sitting and waiting, but if it gets on to the fells, it could wipe out the entire stock."

The two County Durham cases were among an additional six confirmed yesterday. The others were in Anglesey, Devon, Lancashire, and Northamptonshire.

Large parts of the countryside could be made off-limits to the public, after local authorities were granted statutory powers to effectively ban walkers from land.

NFU president Ben Gill, who farms at Easingwold in North Yorkshire, urged councils to use their powers.

He said: "It is imperative that every local council which has rural footpaths and rights of way within its boundaries closes them immediately.

"There must be a blanket ban across the country. This could be crucial in helping us to stamp out this highly virulent disease."

The National Trust, the UK's largest private landowner, has already closed or restricted access to parkland or landscaped grounds where there are livestock.

The Forestry Commission, which covers 2.4 million acres in the UK, said it had closed forests and cancelled events within infected areas and was keeping operations to a minimum.

Mr Brown said yesterday that some animals may be allowed to be transported directly to abattoirs under close supervision.

He said: "We are looking at whether it will be possible to licence the movement of livestock from farms directly to a holding centre or abattoirs."

Discussions about compensation are continuing. But farmers have been warned that they may continue to suffer from the ban on exports for up to six months once the country is free of the disease.

Government Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore said there was no doubt that the farm at Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, had the oldest case in the outbreak and could be the source, although it was not possible to be 100 per cent certain.

Bobby Waugh, who runs the farm with his brother Ronnie, said yesterday the pigs at the centre of the outbreak were fed on slops from schools and restaurants.

He said: "I don't believe we have done anything wrong and I am not happy that we have been blamed as the source of the outbreak.