Scottish foot-and-mouth alert

The farm is subject to movement restrictions

A farm in the north east of Scotland has been cordoned off after an animal was found with foot-and-mouth symptoms.

A seven-month-old bullock on Bogton Farm at Corse, near Huntly, Aberdeenshire, has mouth lesions.

As a precaution, movement restrictions have been placed on the farm and all others within an 8km (five miles) radius.

Samples from the animal have been sent to the international reference laboratory at the Institute of Animal Health in Pirbright, Surrey.

Initial results will not be available until Saturday morning.

Vaccination debate

Other restrictions have also been placed on farms in Aberdeenshire and Dumfries and Galloway which have had contact with the suspect animal.

Up to 10 million animals were destroyed during the foot-and-mouth crisis in 2001.

Since it was declared to be officially over, there have been several alerts on farms across the UK. None has proved positive.

Opinion is divided among experts as to whether or not animals should be vaccinated against foot-and-mouth to prevent a further widespread outbreak.