Half a million sheep may be killed, the army may be moved in

AS THE number of confirmed cases rose towards the 200 mark throughout the UK, there was a growing chorus of criticism of the Government's action plans - but Agriculture Minister Nick Brown insisted today that he still believed the disease was "under control."

He did, however, qualify his confidence by adding: "Under control, that is, as far as any Government can control a biological event."

He made the remarks on morning radio in face of a growing uproar of criticism from, amongst others, hoteliers and other rural based tourist businesses, the Irish Government and the RSPCA.

Political observers were detecting signs of near panic in the Government as they face the prospect of cancelling the general election widely forecast to be held in May and also local elections already fixed for May 3.

The Government is already contemplating two further crisis measures which indicate their growing concern: the slaughter of 500,000 pregnant ewes which have not been infected and bringing in army marksmen to shoot other livestock - mainly pigs farmed in open fields - and, in a worst case scenario, wildlife which might spread the epidemic.

• The RSPCA has criticised the suggestion that half a million healthy sheep should be killed merely because they cannot be moved to proper lambing sheds. The society believes that this could be avoided by allowing short local movements to existing buildings or, when this is not possible, the building of emergency sheds where the ewes are in situ.

• Irish ministers continued to be highly critical of the UK government's attempts to control the epidemic, fearing that a major outbreak in the republic would be a major disaster for the country's economy. They are particularly scathing about the decision to allow horse racing to resume.

• And Ben Gill, the NFU president, was meeting Prime Minister Tony Blair today to demand, amongst other things, the swift destruction or removal of slaughtered animals from farms - scores or dead corpses have still to be dealt with on the scene of one of the Yorkshire outbreaks near Queensbury, causing extreme distress to the farmer's family and his neighbours.

Before his meeting with the PM, Mr Gill commented: "This will be another opportunity to put firsthand to the Prime Minister the acute concerns, fear and needs of UK farmers."

"I shall be raising with him the huge difficulties we face today and the severe long-term economic consequences that foot and mouth will inevitably have on the farming and rural community, including those who survive through tourism and all the other allied industries."

The Prime Minister will also have talks with the allied rural industries later today.