THE Government's forthcoming inquiries into the foot and mouth epidemic have been slammed as "too brief, too private and too carefully controlled," by an MP.

The attack, by Mid-Worcestershire member Peter Luff came at a meeting of farmers who were told by the MP he would not accept the conclusions of the investigations.

Speaking to NFU members in Kidderminster alongside Wyre Forest MP Dr Richard Taylor, Mr Luff said although the inquiries would produce some useful conclusions, they would fall well short of what was needed to get to the bottom of the outbreak.

In addition, he said they would fail to analyse how well the Government responded and how a similar disaster could be prevented from occurring again.

He said: "There are so many issues for an inquiry to consider," highlighting, among others, the origins of the disease, its control, carcass disposal methods, use of the army, the potential role of vaccination and how burial sites were identified.

He added: "To think all this can be done in six months is barmy. But to think any inquiry staffed and run by the Government's own cabinet office will be sufficiently independent is an insult to the British people's intelligence."

And he called on the Government to "show some humility," admit it had been wrong and hold a public inquiry.