New outbreak 'same virus strain'

Chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds said the strain infecting cattle near Egham, Surrey, was "generally" the same as the one which caused the August outbreak near Pirbright, some 10 miles away.

The results of a full examination of the virus strain are expected later.

As culling on farmland near Egham continued, Dr Reynolds said an epidemiological investigation was looking at whether the disease had spread through animals, vehicle movements or environmental contamination.

There were denials from the Government that Ms Reynolds had been pressurised into giving the all-clear too early after the last outbreak, which was blamed on leaking pipework at Pirbright laboratory site. Surrey was declared free of foot and mouth, along with the rest of the UK, last Friday, just days before the disease emerged again.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman said: "This was a decision that was made on the basis of scientific evidence. It was a decision made by the chief vet and it was a decision supported by many academic experts."

Speaking after a meeting with the Prime Minister and Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, National Farmers' Union president Peter Kendall said it was apparent that they "share the real state of despair that this has occurred".

Mr Kendall said: "We are fully behind the initiative to control, contain and eradicate, we have to do that first." But he warned the situation was "so much worse than last time" because it came at a key time of year for the livestock industry.

The area involved in the current outbreak is grazing land attached to Milton Park Farm, with the animals there belonging to Robert Lawrence who owns another farm, Hardwick Park Farm.

The cattle were culled as a precaution following symptoms of the highly infectious disease. A second "precautionary" cull of animals on Stroude Farm, owned by Ernest Ward, was ordered last night and was taking place. Mr Ward's son, Steven Ward, confirmed that 800 pigs and 40 cattle are to be culled at the farm.