Anglesey cull finally underway

Farmers are preparing thousands of sheep for slaughter

The first 700 sheep have been slaughtered as the massive cull on Anglesey has finally got under way.

After a day of confusion over when the cull of 40,000 animals would begin, farming unions confirmed that the first few hundred had been killed at the Welsh Country Foods abattoir at Garwen - the site of the first outbreak.

It has been an absolute shambles. You have got to tell those farmers who are going make sacrifices exactly what the plans are.

Anglesey farmer and AM for north Wales Peter Rogers

It had been hoped that as many as 2,000 sheep and lambs would have been dealt with inside the 50 square mile cull zone on the first day.

Earlier in the day there were serious doubts about whether it would start at all, following an administrative error which meant that the abattoir had not been re-licensed for slaughtering to take place.

The cull - which is expected to take up to 10 days to complete - will continue on Wednesday.

The army will again be transporting carcasses to a disposal site - the disused Mona airfield, which is owned by the Ministry of Defence.

A total of 13 cases have been confirmed on Anglesey

The airfield was selected after the preferred landfill site elsewhere on the island was ruled out because of objections from Anglesey councillors.

Now there are objections about the new site - including complaints that it is too near the A55 road.

Farmer Owen Jones has attempted to get a court injunction to stop the disposal taking place there and a public meeting was taking place at Bodffordd on Anglesey on Tuesday night for like-minded people sharing his views.

Meanwhile, Anglesey farmer and north Wales assembly member Peter Rogers has criticised the way the cull had been managed.

'Absolute shambles'

He has called for the whole operation should be called to a halt.

"It has been an absolute shambles," said Mr Rogers, whose own sheep are awaiting slaughter.

"The problem is that people don't know what is happening.

"You have got to tell those farmers who are going make sacrifices exactly what the plans are."

Soldiers are assisting across the UK

Mr Rogers said many farmers like him were now calling for an end to the cull and the beginning of mass vaccination instead.

"The slaughter should be stopped immediately and we should be using a vaccine," he said.

There are currently 42 cases of foot-and-mouth in Wales, with 13 of them on Anglesey.13 of which are on Anglesey, 25 in Powys, and four in Monmouthshire.

Welsh Assembly Finance Minister Edwina Hart has announced that she is making £12m available to help businesses affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The money will be used by local authorities to grant rate relief to as many as 20,000 businesses throughout Wales - mainly those with links to agriculture and tourism.