UK farm virus forces opening of animal mass grave
Date: 04-Sep-01
Country: UK
The move on the weekend prompted local residents to renew calls for the permanent closure of the Tow Law burial site in County Durham as it prepares to deal with animals slaughtered in the latest outbreak.
More than 2,000 sheep and 151 cattle were culled on the weekend after a foot-and-mouth case was confirmed at a farm near Consett, County Durham. It was the 17th confirmed case of the virus in 10 days.
"Tow Law has been reopened because the rendering capacity can no longer cope," said a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). "We expect to be using Tow Law again today and we are satisfied that it does not pose an environmental danger."
The first four lorries dumped carcasses at Tow Law on the weekend and seven more went in at 8 a.m. yesterday.
Local residents say the site - the scene of protests three months ago - poses a serious environmental risk and they have fought a battle to have it closed down.
DEFRA said it had extended the so-called "blue box" exclusion zone in a bid to contain the virus. It now covers 317 square miles (821 sq km) of Northern England - up from 222 square miles (575 sq km) on the weekend.
Tough measures inside the zone include strict disinfection at farms, more police patrols and a freeze on animal movement licences.
The National Farmers' Union said the new cases were a "deeply depressing" development for farmers.
Foot-and-mouth has been confirmed at more than 2,000 farms since the outbreak was discovered in Britain in February.
The worst of the crisis had been thought to have passed, with some areas reopening countryside footpaths that had been closed to help prevent the spread of the infection.
More than 3.7 million animals have been slaughtered and farmers have seen meat export markets disappear.
The English Tourism Council yesterday estimated that domestic tourism has slumped by 12 percent during the crisis.
Pictures of funeral pyres stacked with animal carcasses were shown around the world are thought to have deterred many foreign visitors from coming to the UK.
