Fears grow at spread of cattle TB

A Derbyshire farmer has seen a quarter of his herd slaughtered

The number of TB-infected cattle is spreading throughout Derbyshire, according to farmers' groups.

Cases of tuberculosis have previously been confined to the county border with Staffordshire, particularly in the Ashbourne area.

Instances are now being reported by farmers on the outskirts of Derby as well. The disease sees thousands of cows slaughtered nationwide each year.

Brailsford farmer Nick Adams has had a quarter of its herd put down.

Mr Adams had 13 of his cows slaughtered after they were diagnosed with TB.

At the moment I can't sell any animals Farmer Nick Adams

Mr Adams said: "In the last 30 years it has spread.

"It's got into the Staffordshire-Derbyshire moorlands and spread down from there to Ashbourne and from Ashbourne to Derby.

"At the moment I can't sell any animals, except direct to slaughter, or bring any animals on to the farm."

In the first nine months of this year, 30 herds at farms across the county were diagnosed with the disease.

Defra said the figures had not increased significantly on previous periods.

Alison Pratt, spokeswoman for the NFU in the East Midlands, said farmers were concerned at how the disease seemed to be spreading within the county itself.

"Derbyshire is increasingly under threat," she said.

"The concern is absolutely huge - I think farmers are increasingly worried as TB moves up the country."

She urged the government to speed up its programme of research into the disease and take action.

A Defra spokesman said: "There are instances in Derbyshire, and we are seeking to address those.

"There is a major, on-going programme looking at how best to tackle this across the country, looking at the question of whether it's caused by badgers and things like cattle movement."