Farmer 'suicide' over foot-and-mouth

Andrew Keighley said the pressure was too much

The father of a young farmer found hanged says his son had become depressed after believing he helped spread foot-and-mouth.

Andrew Keighley was found hanged on Monday morning at his father's farm in Pool-in-Wharfedale near Otley, West Yorkshire.

He was aged 33, and had two young daughters.

In an apparent suicide note, he explained that the pressure of foot-and-mouth had become too much to bear.

He had worked as a livestock handler at Wharfedale Farmers Auction Mart for 17 years, before it was forced to close because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

His father, Willie Keighley, said his son had become increasingly paranoid about the virus.

Before his death, he had withdrawn to his own farm in Pool-in-Wharfedale in a depressed state.

He thought he may have spread foot-and-mouth around nearby farms where he worked after losing his job at the auction mart.

The human cost of foot-and-mouth is growing

His father said: "We are totally devastated.

"It seems he had been shouldering the responsibility of carrying the disease around Wharfedale when he had no reason to.

"I want everyone to be aware and to stay vigilant and seek help and make sure nothing like this happens again," he added.

There are three confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth in West Yorkshire, one near Leeds and two near Bradford.

Andrew Keighley's funeral will take place on Monday.