Fear bluetongue virus is widespread

Richard Storer spoke out after a second farm fell victim to the disease, about 50 miles away from his farm in Baylham, Suffolk.

The latest farm to be hit by the virus is Beehive Farm, Jay Lane, Lound, near Lowestoft, owned by Ron Hill.

Two of Mr Storer's cattle have been struck down by the virus, one without showing signs of illness.

He said farmers might not realise that the disease had hit because affected animals may not appear sick.

He said: "Worryingly, this means that there may well be animals elsewhere in East Anglia that have been bitten by midges, are now infected but are not showing any symptoms to alert their owners to the presence of the virus."

Mr Hill, 57, said that one of his cattle had been confirmed by Defra as having the bluetongue disease and had been destroyed.

Farmers, already struggling in the wake of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Surrey in recent months, learned at the weekend that bluetongue had been confirmed for the first time in the UK.

The disease, spread by infected midges, is common in southern Europe and has emerged across northern European countries during the past year.

Mr Storer said the first cow, a Highland which tested positive on Saturday, had been unwell. But the second, an Old Gloucester slaughtered on Monday, showed no signs of illness and the virus was only revealed by routine testing following the outbreak.