The French Government has announced that tens of thousands of cattle are to be tested to try to evaluate the extent of BSE, or Mad Cow disease, among the country's eight-million cattle.

The testing is due to start later in the year, but Health Minister Dominique Gillot, who made the announcement, said it hadn't been decided which of three possible tests would be used.

She told a newspaper that tens of thousands of cattle would be tested in the coming months, in line with a decision taken in December.

The aim is to determine just how widespread BSE is in France, where 81 cases have been detected since 1991. There has already been one case recorded this year.

It will take some time to begin the testing. It has to be decided exactly how the sample animals are to be chosen - which should be done in the next few days - and then the actual survey has to begin.

Ms Gillot said it had not been decided which of three tests - Franco-American, Swiss or Irish - would be used.

British ban stays

France will be the first country in the European Union to survey its cattle in this way, though Switzerland began to do so last year.

There, butchers and meat wholesalers test beef for any sign of infection, but that is not to be done in France.

The French scheme involves taking samples of brain and bone marrow from animals which show no sign of infection, and the French Government is urging other European countries to follow its example.

Ms Gillot made it clear the decision would not affect France's continuing ban on the import of British beef, which is contrary to European Union law and the subject of a legal challenge.