Farmer warns of suicide risk

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."

6 Despite the Malvern Hills being out of bounds, the Hereford & Worcester Fire Brigade's cliff rescue team was called to pluck four boys from the face of North Quarry.

The four, who managed to climb down themselves, could now face £5,000 fines under the Animal Health Act.

"People who go clambering around on disused quarries really put themselves in considerable danger," said Alec Mackie, fire brigade spokesman.

MID-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has accused the Government of playing down the foot-and-mouth crisis to let it call an early General Election.

Mr Luff, who was speaking to the annual meeting of the Mid-Worcestershire Conservative Association, said there was "nothing magical" about the May 3 date and Parliament could pass legislation to delay county council elections.

"And there's no need whatsoever for a General Election until June of next year," he told the meeting at Norton-juxta-Kempsey last Friday.

"Foot-and-mouth disease is a national disaster whose scale seems to be growing daily. If it carries on growing it would be unthinkable that we should hold county elections or a General Election that would be fully 13 months early itself.

"The time for decision is not yet, but it is very close.

"The simple fact is that Downing Street is refusing to countenance not holding the county elections on May 3 - and by implication the General Election - is the most powerful demonstration yet that this Government cares not about the country but only about its own survival."

The MP claimed to party members that the Government was "deliberately trying to play down" the seriousness of the foot-and-mouth outbreak to ensure it could go to the country at the beginning of May.

He added that the crisis had paralysed rural tourism and attractions like Worcester Royal Porcelain and the Severn Valley Railway were not enough on their own to tempt holidaymakers to the area.

LIVESTOCK farmers suffering hardship in Worcestershire and Herefordshire are being urged to contact the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI).

"The number of livestock farmers who are affected by the foot-and-mouth outbreak is increasing daily," said RABI chairman John Wallis.

"Many have had animals slaughtered as a result of the outbreak or are subject to movement restrictions.

"Calls for help on our emergency phone lines have increased 20-fold in the past two weeks and to help handle the calls they are being manned round the clock."

The charity was given a boost last week by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Westminster who both made donations.

"RABI is very grateful for the goodwill and support from a wide cross-section of the public," said Mr Wallis.

"As a result we have substantial funds available to help livestock farmers suffering hardship."

The RABI emergency helpline is 01865 727888.

REGULARS at a rural pub most commonly known for its Archers connections is facing an agricultural crisis of its own.

While farmers in fictional Ambridge have yet to come face-to-face with foot-and-mouth disease, farmers in Inkberrow might not be so lucky.

At The Old Bull Inn on Saturday night instead of St Patrick's Day celebrations the pub had an atmosphere of dread.

A farm in the village was served with a Form D notice after there were fears that the disease had spread from the Smith's farm at Bishampton.

Ministry of Agriculture officials were investigating the link in case of "dangerous contact".

MAFF confirmed that the farm had not show any signs of the disease by the time the Evening News went to press.

"The atmosphere was horrible," said Alicia Gold, a barmaid at The Old Bull.

"Everyone was really sad to hear what was going on.

"There's a terrible smell around the village and we think its from the burning of animals. Everyone went quiet when the farmer told us what had happened.

"It doesn't just affect him. There are lots of other farms in the village with animals.

"We've just got to keep our fingers crossed."

CLEAR guidance for the public on what they can and cannot do in the countryside during the foot-and-mouth outbreak is being circulated to local authorities, tourist offices and websites.

The information will be updated regularly so people have the best possible information in the run-up to the Easter holidays and beyond.

The Forestry Commission and British Waterways are now considering whether to lift some of their voluntary precautionary restrictions.

But the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions is still advising people to stay away from livestock and grazing pastures.

Prime Minister Tony Blair set up a Rural Task Force last week in an effort to handle the foot-and-mouth crisis.

"It is absolutely vital to follow the rules in restricted areas," said Environment Minister Michael Meacher.

"But anywhere in the country you can visit rural and seaside towns and villages."

A copy of the guidance can be found on www.detr.gov.uk

THE RSPCA has written to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food urging it not to slaughter animals, which have no proven link with foot-and-moth disease.

The animal welfare charity insists that the cull is a "step too far" and that only animals that have a clear link with the disease should be killed in an effort to stop the spread.

"This disease outbreak is extremely serious and we understand that drastic measures are necessary," said chief veterinary officer Chris Lawrence of the RSPCA.

"However, we don't accept that it is necessary to kill animals with no proven link to the disease.

THERE will be a special live edition of the Heart of the Country television programme screened on ITV tomorrow evening.

Presenter Tony Francis and his team will be investigating how the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has spread from the farming community to zoos, stately homes, waterways and even charities.

The programme goes on the air at 7.30pm.

AIRCRAFT must not fly lower than 1,000 ft above Bringsty Common to avoid infection, say West Mercia police.

There have been three confirmed infections on National Trust-owned farms at Bringsty.

MAFF officials have advised pilots to avoid flying over infected sites due to the threat of airborne spread.

The regulations also state that planes must not fly within an area of two nautical miles around any infected site.