Yorkshire, with just two outbreaks confirmed, has been relatively lucky so far in the foot and mouth crisis - but vets were today studying a possible outbreak in two pet lambs owned by receptionist Kerry Cooper in Kilnwick, near Beverley.

The family's land has been placed in an exclusion zone whilst vets study the lambs. Local farmers are keeping their fingers crossed because at nearby Goole another possible outbreak was investigated in pigs early in the crisis but they were later given a clean bill of health.

So far, the county - particularly North Yorkshire - has been very lucky because bordering counties like Cumbria and Northumberland have both been hard-hit: Cumbria has a quarter of all the outbreaks confirmed in the UK and today, vets will start slaughtering tens of thousand of healthy sheep, many of them pregnant ewes, in an attempt to cordon off affected areas.

This policy has received a very mixed reception amongst farmers and politicians. William Hague, leader of the opposition, and Ben Gill, NFU president, have both accepted the measures with "great reluctance" but agree they are necessary.

Tears around the countryside

Said Mr Gill: "These are strong measures which will leave farmers feeling desperate and appalled at the implications for our industry."

"But not to act in this way would be even more disastrous for Britain's livestock farmers. If we do not try to cull ahead of the disease then even more animals will be affected."

"There will be many tears around the British countryside today. Our farms should be starting to jump with life with newborn lambs and calves. Instead many will feel that spring has been cancelled and their farms are simply 'dead'."

North East threatens rural revolt

Other people take a much more angry stance. Andrew Spence, North Eastern organiser of the pressure group Farmers for Action, warns that there will be a "rural revolt" if Government start killing healthy animals.

"There is going to be hell at the first farm they come to slaughter livestock," he said.

Sheep dealers tracked

Vets are continuing to trace back the movements of two, as yet un-named, major sheep dealers whose travels round various markets may be linked to the spread of the disease.

And a Cornish farmer has been fined £3,500 for moving sheep in contravention of national restrictions. Norman Dalgarno says the fine is "unbelievable" and that he cannot afford to pay it.