Blair discusses vaccination with farmers leaders

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair has met farmers' leaders in London to discuss the possibility of vaccinating around two-hundred thousand cattle against foot and mouth disease.

European Union vets yesterday gave permission for a vaccination programme for pedigree dairy herds.

Ben Gill -- leader of the National Farmers' Union -- said after the meeting that the current slaughter policy remained the preferred option.

He called on the government to make a decision on vaccination within two days.

Vaccinating would mean Britain loosing the disease-free status most meat importers insist on. The plan would be to vaccinate animals in areas surrounding current outbreaks to suppress the symptoms that help the virus spread, and then destroy the vaccinated animals, which can still carry the virus.

The leader of the opposition Conservative party, William Hague, said that if he were prime minister he'd postpone elections; Mr Blair is widely expected to call a general election on May the Third, the date already set for local elections.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service