THE foot and mouth outbreak has brought back memories for Bromyard vet Francis Anthony.

He clearly remembers the last time the virus wreaked havoc among Britain's livestock in 1967-68.

Then a young vet at the Freshacres Surgery, where he still practices, he was seconded to help deal with the outbreak, which was centred on Shropshire and Cheshire.

He still remembers how the nation virtually came to a standstill as the epidemic ranged over the countryside.

He said: "It was not only the farmers who were affected but the corner shops, the hauliers, everyone. It was as if everyone had to stay home and eat sandwiches."

But it was the farmers who bore the brunt, with some 440,000 animals slaughtered.

Mr Anthony said: "It affected all sorts, from small farms with half-a-dozen cows, all the way up to herds of 300 pedigree Holsteins. The farmer would have been breeding them for 30 years but all that work was wiped out."

Mr Anthony said at this stage in the current outbreak he was "cautiously optimistic".

He said: "In 1967, the weather conditions were very favourable for the disease, with a lot of fogs and gentle movements of air, which allowed the virus to spread through the air. It took people quite a long time to figure out how it was spreading.

"This time it's clear that the spread is via sheep which have passed through certain sites.

"Since movements of animals are recorded, it should be possible to find where they have gone," he said.