Beacons set for sheep slaughter

Preparations are underway to slaughter 4,000 sheep in the Brecon Beacons after tests found traces of foot-and-mouth disease.

It is the first time in Wales that free roaming animals have tested positive.

A further 6,000 animals are due to be tested as part of a screening programme of upland sheep in the area carried out by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The government has been warned the tests could spell disaster for the already hard-pressed rural economy in mid Wales.

As the cull starts, Prime Minister Tony Blair is travelling to Cumbria - one of the areas worst hit by foot-and-mouth - to show support for the tourist industry.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are also due to meet Northumberland farmers affected by foot-and-mouth on Thursday.

Bookings up

Mr Blair will tell tourist attractions in one of the areas hardest hit by foot-and-mouth that the government is doing all it can to help the industry recover.

Downing Street says that despite dire predictions, hotel and guest house bookings in Cumbria are up 80% for July and August. By October, officials say, they should be back to normal.

Disease facts

Total cases: 1,891

New cases Wednesday: 4

Slaughtered: 3,595,000

Awaiting slaughter: 28,000

Awaiting disposal: 13,000

Mr Blair is expected to acknowledge the disease has not been eradicated but he will insist the government will continue to bear down on foot-and-mouth.

Conservatives say fresh outbreaks of the virus prove that ministers have failed to get to grips with the crisis.

And Cumbria Tourist Board fears foot-and-mouth will still be a problem by the end of the year.

The imminent slaughter on the Brecon Beacons has also raised fears that sheep in other hill areas could be harbouring the virus.

But the government says elsewhere in Britain there had been no evidence of the disease outside "hotspot" areas.

Recovery package

NFU Cymru president Hugh Richards has warned that hill farming in the Brecon Beacons could be "wiped out".

Glyn Powell, vice president of the Farmers' Union of Wales, said up to 40,000 sheep grazed in the vicinity of the testing and as many as 100,000 animals could be affected.

The Welsh Assembly is due to announce details on Thursday of a £60m rural recovery package for the worst hit areas of Wales.

Fears are growing for sheep on the uplands

Welsh Assembly Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones said test results received for sheep in five areas of the Beacons had shown a significant number of positive results.

"We are well aware that the loss of these hefted flocks will have serious environmental consequences for the Brecon Beacons.

"For that reason we are already in discussions with the European Commission about the special support which will need to be made available to encourage the re-introduction of sheep onto the areas of the Brecon Beacons."

Mr Jones said that support for the beleaguered Beacons farmers would be carefully tailored to ensure that re-stocking successfully re-established hefted flocks.