Disease protection zones lifted

The protection zones spanned 3km around the farms

Protection zones surrounding two farms where foot-and-mouth disease was found earlier this month have been lifted.

The Surrey farms will still be within a surveillance zone, and the ban on animal markets and shows will remain.

The relaxation of restrictions follows the government's decision to remove a UK-wide ban on livestock movement.

As a precaution, animals will have to remain on the destination premises for 20 days, unless livestock is moved no more than 8km (five miles) away.

A 3km (two mile) protection zone was put in place around the two farms when the disease was first discovered.

Trade resumption

The export ban on livestock, meat and dairy products, imposed after the foot-and-mouth outbreak, is to be lifted from Saturday.

A committee of EU vets decided to give initial approval for the resumption of meat and animal product exports from Britain to EU countries.

But the ban will continue in the 10km (six mile) surveillance zone also put in place around the two farms.

Movement of cattle in or out of the surveillance zone will also continue to be banned.

Research laboratories

Chief Vet Debby Reynolds has imposed a 5km (three mile) temporary bio-security area around the two animal health research laboratories at Pirbright, three miles from the first farm.

She said this was a precautionary measure to ensure extra vigilance among vets and animal keepers.

The labs are being investigated by officials trying to establish the cause of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Foot-and-mouth was confirmed in a herd of cattle at Woolford Farm in Surrey on 3 August.

A second case, at a farm nearby, was confirmed on 7 August.

Tests on two other farms, one in Surrey and one Kent, and on animals at Chessington World of Adventures in Surrey, all proved negative.