SHEEP farmers in York and North Yorkshire have labelled plans to introduce new sheep identification measures a "potential nightmare".

Animals will have to carry two 14-digit ear tags by law, instead of only one, if European Commission plans are put into practice.

But farmers fear the tags will create extra work and expense as well as harming lambs and leaving owners open to prosecution if the tags fall out.

The news comes as National Farmers' Union (NFU) members voted to merge the East Riding and York branches.

NFU president Ben Gill, who farms at Easingwold, said the new York East district reflected the changing needs of the union's members.

Rosey Dunn, the new president of York East County NFU, said the sheep-tagging plans were a potential nightmare.

Mrs Dunn, who has a flock of 50 breeding ewes on her farm at Stockton-on-the-Forest, near York, said she objected to the tagging of very young lambs on animal welfare grounds as their ears were small and frail.

"We have a very good system in place at the moment", she said.

Rosedale sheep farmer Ron Foster said the plans would mean more work, extra expense and were not "animal friendly."

Mr Foster said extra help in identifying sheep could be useful.

But he added: "It will mean more work for the farmer, and that is not just tagging them, it is the recording and other things that will come along as a result."

The York East district will represent 1,800 farmers in an area bordered by Scarborough to the east, Rosedale to the north, Boroughbridge to the west and York to the south.

Updated: 12:13 Thursday, December 19, 2002