Belgium suspects foot and mouth

Belgium has announced a suspected case of foot and mouth disease.

If confirmed, it will be the first case in mainland Europe -- the current outbreak has so far been confined to Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Belgian government has banned the movement of all farm animals.

It's also said no-one may enter farms with animals within twenty kilometres of the suspected outbreak -- a pig farm at Diksmuide in the north.

France and the Irish Republic have already stepped up efforts to combat the risk of foot and mouth disease spreading to their territory. A BBC correspondent in Paris says one by-product of the crisis is a shortage of sheep in France for consumption on the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha on Monday.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service