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Britain to Kill Healthy Animals Despite Farmers' Protests
The British government's proposed mass cull of livestock in areas worst hit by foot-and-mouth is to go ahead "as soon as possible," despite protests from farmers.
Up to 300,000 pigs and sheep that are kept close to three infected areas, two in Scotland and one in England, will be slaughtered in an attempt to prevent the further spread of the disease.
The move has been condemned by farmers, with pressure group Farmers for Action promising to take legal action to block the cull.
The government's chief veterinary officer, Jim Scudamore, said he understood farmers' anger at the move, but insisted in starting the cull as soon as possible and finishing it as soon as possible.
Nine new cases of foot-and-mouth were confirmed on Saturday morning, bringing the total to 282, including one case in Northern Ireland.
Scudamore said he would be meeting farmers in the cull area on Monday to explain why the action was necessary.
He said: "There is the risk now that it will move out of flocks and into cattle or pigs which are capable of generating a lot of virus and transporting it.
"If we don't take some form of decisive action there is a fear that the disease, instead of being contained in sheep, will spread and become airborne."
Scudamore said that farmers who were faced with losing a lifetime's work were understandably upset by the move, but that it was necessary to avert a worse disaster.
British Agriculture Minister Nick Brown said earlier that the cull of healthy animals would not go ahead until the situation had been fully explained to affected farmers.
Police in the county have increased patrols and confiscated firearms from a farmer who allegedly threatened ministry officials who came to cull his livestock.
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