Foot-and-mouth disease

Through August, new cases of foot-and-mouth continue to emerge on a daily basis despite expectations that the summer heat would help prevent further infection. BBC News Online follows the story in Audio and Video.

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29 August 2001

Fabric of rural life threatened

Leisure boats stand empty on the shores of Lake Windermere

Foot-and-mouth has had a devastating impact on the rural economy says the Countryside Agency. Losses to the economy have been up to £4bn, mainly affecting tourism with many thousands of jobs at risk. The Agency's Chairman Ewen Cameron called for vaccination against foot-and-mouth, saying the public would not tolerate the slaughter of livestock on such a large scale again.

The BBC's Tom Heap reports

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26 August 2001

New outbreak in Northumbria

Sheep being rounded up in a Northumberland farm close to the outbreak

A new outbreak of foot-and-mouth hits Northumberland. A series of cases are found within a few miles of each other near Hexham. The region had been free of the virus for three months. Extra vets are sent to the area and tight controls are imposed on movement as government offficials seek to stamp out the disease before it can spread.

The BBC's Kevin Bocquet reports

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5 August 2001

Disease payouts under scrutiny

Millions of animals have been destroyed

Compensation costs paid to farmers hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis are to be investigated by MPs. 37 farmers have claimed more than £1m compensation each for livestock slaughtered in the foot-and-mouth cull, according to reports confirmed by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The BBC's Nicholas Jones reports

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4 August 2001

UK slaughter decision 'cost £3bn'

Officials continue testing, as the crisis continues

Vaccinating animals at an early stage could have reduced the cost of the crisis by about two-thirds, research for the BBC suggests. The research, commissioned by BBC Radio 4's Today programme, challenges the idea that the government has tackled the disease in the most cost-effective way.

The BBC's Tim Hirsch reports

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1 August 2001

Farmers snub minister over disease fears

A milk tanker undergoes intense disinfection near Thirsk, North Yorkshire

Rural Affairs minister Elliot Morley is forced to cancel a planned meeting with farmers during a trip to North Yorkshire to inspect new hygiene measures in the county. The new 900-square-mile "biosecurity zone" around the town of Thirsk has the tightest set of restrictions to be imposed during the foot-and-mouth crisis. Farmers fear the minister's visit would compromise their efforts.

The BBC's John Thorne reports