Disease next to cull protest farm

Mrs Hoffe is refusing to let officials into her farm

A case of foot-and-mouth has been confirmed next door to a house where a woman has been trying to stop the cull of her five sheep.

Carolyn Hoffe has launched a legal challenge in an attempt to stop the slaughter of the sheep under regulations aimed at stopping the spread of the disease.

Mrs Hoffe has barricaded herself and her five Dutch Zwartbles sheep in her home in Glasserton, near Whithorn, in Dumfries and Galloway.

She has refused to allow agriculture officials into her home after their arrival at the gates on Thursday.

"My sheep are locked inside the living room. They've had not contact with this farm

Carolyn Hoffe

Mrs Hoffe has begun legal proceedings at the Court of Session in Edinburgh to try to overturn the Scottish Executive's policy of culling all sheep kept within 3km of infected farms.

However, as that petition was being heard, it emerged that foot-and-mouth had been confirmed at a farm about half a mile from Mrs Hoffe's home.

Mrs Hoffe expressed the hope that the development would not harm her case.

She said: "My sheep are locked inside the living room. They've had not contact with this farm."

Mrs Hoffe told BBC Scotland that there were only cattle on the affected farm and they tended to show signs of the disease very quickly.

"They obviously didn't have it at the beginning of the week, which is when I brought my sheep indoors," she said.

Carolyn Hoffe: Keeping her hopes up

The widow vowed to "keep her hopes up" that her five sheep, named Maggie, Matthew, Melissa, Emily and Eva, would be spared, despite warnings from lawyers that her case would not succeed.

Her lawyer, Alasdair Bryce, said a petition had been handed into the court based on veterinary tests which showed the animals were clear of the infection.

He said: "There have been six previous cases like this in Scotland and none has been successful. However, Mrs Hoffe has been given the best possible chance of success."

'Beyond a joke'

On Thursday, about 20 Scottish Executive officials, soldiers and police officers gathered outside the house, along with half a dozen protesters who conducted a peaceful demonstration in support of the sheep.

Officials, police, protesters and media organisation kept up a vigil at the house on Friday.

Mrs Hoffe said: "It makes you think they already know the answer. The officials have the right to break into my house and take the sheep from me.

"It's awful. It has gone beyond a joke now. It's not just me - there are so many people whose lives have been ruined."

A spokesman for the executive said it was awaiting the outcome of the court proceedings before the fate of the sheep could be decided.