MP Peter Luff today welcomed the European Parliament's decision to hold a full inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic which devastated Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

The parliament has established a committee that will spend the next 12 months looking at all aspects of the crisis, and how to avoid a further outbreak.

The move will cause embarrassment to the Government - which has refused to hold its own public inquiry into the disease.

Ministers have provoked fury among farming communities by opting for three separate inquiries instead.

Mid-Worcestershire MP Mr Luff said the European Parliament decision was "marvellous news" - and he was hoping to contribute to the inquiry.

"This will at last give us the chance to get information into the public domain and have a proper debate about what happened," he said.

"It will reduce the chance of any bad news being swept under the carpet - which is what the Government wanted with its private inquiries.

"I will look at the terms of reference of the European Parliament inquiry closely and, if possible, give evidence to it.

"I have detailed evidence about what happened from local farmers that I want to share."

One of the big questions for the Brussels inquiry will be whether Ministers knew about the foot and mouth epidemic in advance of news of the first case being made public last February.

Some MPs have speculated that discussions took place between the UK Government and the European commission in advance of this date.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs insisted the three official Government inquiries would deal with the situation quickly and effectively.

DEFRA said it would provide the European Parliament with any information it required.