BBC

Monday, 21 May, 2001, 11:36 GMT 12:36 UK Fears over fresh disease cluster

Foot-and-mouth can be hard to spot in sheep Farmers have been warned to remain vigilant following a spate of cases of foot-and-mouth disease in North Yorkshire.

Four cases were confirmed in the Settle area over the weekend, bring the total to 15 in the region in just 10 days.

Local farmers estimate that 50,000 animals have already been culled, but warn that could rise steeply if the virus spreads to hills where thousands of sheep graze.

But the Ministry of Agriculture says the cluster is a "localised" outbreak, not connected to the widespread movement of infected animals.

Tim Palmer, group secretary of the Craven National Farmers' Union, said: "The speed with which it is spreading is worrying. It is jumping about in leaps and bounds quite a long way from the initial nucleus.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), May 21, 2001