The three-month milestone since the last case of foot and mouth in the UK was reached yesterday (December 30) - and a wave of relief swept across Britain's farming community, says the NFU.

The last case of the disease - which ravaged the British countryside for seven months - was recorded on 30 September in Cumbria.

It would be a mistake, however, to think that Britain will automatically be declared "free" of foot and mouth, says NFU President Ben Gill. The 90-day threshold is considered to be the earliest possible date after which the authorities could lift foot and mouth restrictions.

The four counties that remain classified "at risk" - North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland - will need to be declared free. And, even then, blood testing in badly hit areas will continue until the Government is satisfied that the country is clear of the disease.

Then clearance by the EU and the OIE - the Paris-based international animal health organisation - will also be needed.

But Mr Gill said: "To pass this three-month landmark is tremendous morale boost to farmers up and down the country. It has been a long battle with the disease but it looks very much like we have won.

"It brings a hope that we can start to move swiftly to regaining our disease-free status and break free of the costly strait-jacket of disease restrictions.

"We have endured a year of sheer hell. We must hope and pray that the New Year will bring with it better times - next spring must see the birth of new life on our farms, not the horror we witnessed this year."

There is a meeting of the OIE in mid-January and the NFU hopes the Government will inform the meeting of the UK's success in beating the disease with a view to ensuring that disease-free status can be granted as soon as practically possible.