GOVERNMENT figures confirming that 2005 was the worst year for outbreaks of bovine TB in the South West reinforced the need for urgent action to tackle every aspect of the origination and spread of the disease, according to the NFU.

Last year, there were 1,002 confirmed new outbreaks across the six counties, including Gloucestershire, compared with 950 in 2004, with the number of cattle slaughtered because they failed a TB test up from 10,466 to 14,384.

NFU regional director Anthony Gibson described the figures as "a disgraceful indictment of seven years of official prevarication and timidity" and warned that the longer the Government hesitated the more difficult it would be to get on top of the disease.