Rural firms seek virus payouts

Campaigners representing hundreds of businesses in Wales are discussing plans with other British firms to sue the Government over their losses through the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The downturn in trade in Powys, where 78 virus cases were confirmed, has cost the local economy £50m.

Crisis in Wales

Total confirmed cases UK-wide 2,030 - with 118 in Wales

Powys - 78 cases

Anglesey - 13 cases

Monmouthshire - 21 cases

Caerphilly - 2

Rhondda Cynon Taff - 1

Neath Port Talbot -1

Newport - 3

The countryside was in effect closed down, with thousands of rural businesses suffering heavy losses - some seeing their income slump by 60-70%.

Many businesses in mid Wales hoping to make up losses in the summer were blighted by a resurgence of cases in the Brecon area.

Efforts by the Ministry of Agriculture and Welsh Assembly officials to tackle the outbreak meant tourism businesses and hotels were badly hit by movement restrictions.

But the Powys rural business campaign, representing 300 firms from hoteliers to shopkeepers, has united with thousands of other British businesses to set up a nationwide UK forum.

On Thursday, the campaigners gathered in the Midlands to discuss going ahead with a national class action against the Government.

The forum planned to claim that Westminster discriminated against rural businesses in favour of farmers.

140 sheep were killed as a precaution after 40 lambs showed symptoms

The movement will also look into the claim that closing parts of the countryside meant businesses were denied the right to use their properties in contravention of the Human Rights Act.

The network of businesses is paying for a barrister to spearhead its case and compensation claims could run into billions of pounds.

Seventy-eight of Wales' 118 confirmed cases have been in Powys where almost 15,000 animals have been culled.

Businesses were further confused in September when southern parts of the county were deemed at "high risk" by agriculture officials at Defra, but the northern half had its status dropped to "at risk".

The change has allowed farmers to move some of their animals although some limits remain in place.

But businesses still face a bleak winter without this year's spring and summer profits to survive on.