butchers in Malvern and Ledbury predict meat prices could rise due to shortages if the foot and mouth crisis continues.

Pork supplies are already running short, but there has been no panic buying so far.

Stocks of meat due to arrive at the shops on Tuesday and Wednesday came from animals killed no later than last weekend.

Award-winning butcher Dave Waller, of the Homend, was due a delivery of pork on yesterday (Wednesday). He expected no more pork deliveries until the end of the crisis.

On Monday, he refused to buy a batch of English lamb that would have cost him 60 per cent more than his usual trade price.

He said: "That would have had to be passed on to the customer and you can't do that. It's unfair."

Mr Waller predicted that if the crisis ran on for another week and a half, it would be "just beef and New Zealand lamb." He said the cost of quality free-range chicken would also rise.

Rare breeds butcher John Miles, of The Homend, said his beef stocks would last four weeks and lamb for a week and a half but that pork was already in short supply.

"It affects me as a rare breeds butcher because there is no movement of animals and all my meat comes direct from the farmers," he said. "My prices are not going up. My existing stock has already been paid for and there's no reason to increase the prices."

Bill Grubb, manager of Andy Callwood the Butchers in Ledbury High Street, said that existing stocks of meat would last two to three weeks.

He said: "Pork and lamb could be short. Prices are going up already."

On Tuesday, bacon had already risen "a few pence" per pound, due to the growing scarcity of pork.

Chrys Titshall, of Malvern Country Meals, said he was expecting a delivery of his regular beef from the Orkneys, meat that had already been matured for several weeks. This would see him well stocked with beef for two to three weeks, given usual demand. The shop received a larger delivery of lamb than usual on Monday, assuring supplies into next week. But he anticipated a shortage of pork by this weekend.

He said: "There's no point in people panicking too soon. In terms of the longer prospect, there will be implications if the infection spreads and you will see shortages and price increases."