Foot-and-mouth restrictions eased

Cattle markets in Dumfries and Galloway will resume

Restrictions on the movements of animals because of foot-and-mouth disease are to be eased in Scotland.

But the Scottish Executive has warned that farmers must increase their vigilance to keep the country disease-free.

Cattle markets in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders will be able to start again from Saturday.

And from next week throughout Scotland a relaxation of restrictions will mean that vehicles transporting cattle, pigs and sheep will be allowed to call at five farms to pick-up or drop-off animals.

Scotland has been foot-and-mouth free for four months

This does not apply to animals being taken to slaughter.

Restrictions introduced earlier this year had meant only one trip from farm to market could take place at a time.

This greatly increasing transport costs for crofters and small farmers in particular.

The Scottish Environment and Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie said it is now four months since the last outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Scotland.

But with the disease still not wiped out in England, he warned farmers that any relaxation of Scottish controls needs to be accompanied by increased vigilance and biosecurity on their farms.

Animal markets

Rules that have restricted animal markets or collection centres to just two operations a week are also being changed.

BBC Scotland's rural affairs correspondent Ken Rundle said this should mean it is now possible for marts to hold sales up to three times a week.

Foot-and-mouth in Scotland was restricted to the Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders regions.

The disease came north of the Border on 1 March, and since then there have been 187 confirmed cases. The last of them was at the end of May.