MALVERN'S newest shepherd has been forced to take his flock of 150 sheep off the hills, only weeks after they were first introduced.
Richard Smith, of Welland, rounded up his flock of North Country Cheviots last weekend in an attempt to safeguard them from the disease.
"It's quite important to stop them coming into contact with the public," he said.
"They're now in a field that's pretty isolated but the situation looks a bit desperate. I've been spraying my vehicle regularly and I'm doing my utmost not to spread it around. "Even though I'm travelling back and forth I'm doing my utmost to minimise the spread but this just shows the state of agriculture. It's all this travelling that makes it difficult. You've got pigs and sheep travelling from Scotland to Essex because all the smaller abattoirs have closed. It's a ridiculous situation."
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