Ananova :

Claims that major blunders made by workers drafted in to contain foot-and-mouth may have spread the disease are being investigated.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is treating seriously complaints that vital bio-security measures were ignored and widespread mistakes were made on animal movement.

A list of alleged incidents came from a former field officer, Bryan Munro, employed on a temporary basis by Defra during the height of the crisis in Northumberland.

The 47-year-old has reportedly sent secret papers and internal documentation he received during his time with the department to the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Among Mr Munro's claims, he said farmers and Defra staff ignored vital bio-security aimed at controlling the disease.

He claimed he saw lorries leaving the controversial Widdrington mass burial site covered in contaminated ash and that staff on the site knew waste from burning pyres of dead, infected animals was blowing on to nearby fields and houses.

He also alleged that Defra was well aware that farmers were being offered diseased animals to infect their herds and that people had reported livestock holders for throwing contaminated carcass parts into their herds and flocks.

Other allegations were made that lorry drivers tried to leave farms with dirty wagons and outside contractors turned up to move animals without licences.

Mr Munro said he had suffered scarring to his face and chest pains after he was sprayed by highly concentrated disinfectant on one Northumberland farm.

Other Defra workers faced threats of violence from farmers, Mr Munro claimed, including one who had a shotgun levelled at him when contractors tried to remove stock.

Story filed: 18:43 Monday 24th September 2001

Farming
Foot-and-mouth

	Need the latest breaking UK headlines, direct from Ananova, on your website? Contact our syndication team