Finnie hails disease-hit farmers

Three inquiries have been launched into the outbreak

The "determination and resilience" of farmers affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis has been praised by Scotland's rural development minister.

Ross Finnie told an inquiry into the outbreak that those in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders had been "instrumental" in tackling the threat of the disease spreading further.

The Lessons Learned inquiry is being headed by Dr Iain Anderson, from Perthshire.

His team, which is studying the effects of foot-and-mouth across Britain, has already visited Devon and Wales.

Mr Finnie addressed the inquiry during a session in Dumfries, detailing the steps taken by the Scottish Executive to tackle the disease and help the affected economies recover.

"Foot-and-mouth was an extremely distressing episode for Scotland's rural communities, particularly those directly affected in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders," he said afterwards.

"I stressed that the determination and the resilience exhibited by farmers and their families in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders was instrumental in helping confront the threat of the disease spreading.

"I also praised the role of the army and local authorities who overcame complex and complicated logistics that needed to be put in place to deal with the outbreak."

Dr Anderson has promised to listen intently to those affected by the outbreak in Scotland.

Tackling the disease

He has been meeting representatives of the groups most affected by the crisis as well as those involved in tackling the disease during his two-day trip to Scotland.

His independent team has been charged with seeing at first hand those areas worst affected by last year's crisis.

It expects to submit a final report to the government in the middle of this year.

The independent investigation is one of three announced in August to look at the foot-and-mouth outbreak.