Bluetongue cow farmer 'feared TB'

It is the first case of the virus found at a North East farm

A North Yorkshire farmer has spoken of his upset after a case of bluetongue was discovered in his herd.

The virus was found in an imported cow at Woodhouse Farm, Great Ayton, near Middlesbrough. It was later culled.

Farmer Stuart Fletcher said he had been importing cows for a number of years because he was worried about the spread of bovine TB in the UK.

He did not want to speak publicly, but told the BBC he felt "very bad" about the situation.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is treating the incident as an isolated case, and no restrictions have been imposed.

Local anxiety

The cow had been imported from Lower Saxony in Germany and the virus was confirmed through post-import testing carried out on all animals entering the UK.

In the past year the virus has affected livestock across Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Holland.

A Defra spokesman said that under EU bluetongue regulations susceptible animals can be moved out of restricted zones into free zones.

This can happen providing official vets certify all the conditions have been met.

Mr Fletcher said the cow had shown no sign of the virus.

He was aware of anxiety in the surrounding area and felt "very bad" about the situation.

He added that animals were not allowed to be taken off the farm. He was not sure how long this would last, but was due to speak to Defra on Monday.