FARMERS are living on a knife-edge and it is only a matter of time before someone commits suicide, warns Worcestershire NFU chairman Richard Jordan.

Mr Jordan, who has a farm in Inkberrow, says that he has been losing sleep over the foot-and-mouth crisis, which has today claimed a fifth victim in the county.

Four thousand sheep will now have to be slaughtered at Home Farm in Besford, near Pershore.

Two more farms in Herefordshire were also confirmed as having the disease over the weekend.

Fifteen cattle and 135 sheep at Field Farm, Pixley, near Ledbury, will be destroyed, along with 530 sheep at The Grove, Peterstow, near Ross-on-Wye.

The total number of farms in Herefordshire hit by the disease now stands at 11.

Speculation is now mounting as to whether unaffected farms in the region will be hit by the cull that is already starting in Cumbria.

"Who knows if the cull could affect Worcestershire. We just don't know," said Mr Jordan, who farms sheep and poultry.

"We're living on a knife-edge, that goes without saying.

"We're told it's under control but it doesn't seem to be. It's extremely worrying. It's obvious that someone will kill themselves.

"It's not just pressure on the farmer, it's pressure on the whole family seeing everything going straight down the plug hole.

"It's often worse for people who don't get foot-and-mouth due to consequential losses.

"Stock value has gone down and you have to keep on feeding stock.

"It's just terrible. I'm not getting much sleep."