FARMERS today urged ministers to resist a foot and mouth vaccination programme in North Yorkshire while the biosecurity measures introduced in July appeared to be working.

Suggestions emerged over the weekend that ministers had set themselves a six-week deadline to eradicate the disease, or authorise a limited vaccination programme for cattle.

One national newspaper reported that this would be in high-risk areas of Cumbria, Northumberland and possibly North Yorkshire.

In response a Defra spokesman said: "We have always made clear that vaccination remains an option. We will do it only if that is the advice from the chief scientific adviser and the chief veterinary officer. So far they haven't made such a recommendation."

Farmers in North Yorkshire said they would be against vaccination at the moment.

This was because the strict biosecurity measures introduced in the county in July, following a cluster of cases in the Thirsk area, seemed to be working.

Derek Watson, York county chairman of the National Farmers' Union, said: "My own view is that vaccination is obviously something that we need to never write off, but to look at with great caution.

"I can't see there being any advantage in vaccinating at the moment.

"If you look at Thirsk, since they put in biosecurity measures, we haven't had an outbreak for nearly four weeks.

"If they ring vaccinate they would have to kill the cattle afterwards. There is a risk that the infection could already be there before the vaccination zone is put in. It could see more livestock being killed rather than less.

"A number of vets I've spoken to say that we would have more animals killed and it would prolong the disease."

Stewart Houston, who farms near Ripon, is chairman of the National Pig Association.

He said: "Vaccination has always been an option right from the start and the reservations we had at the beginning still remain.

"If you have a hot spot, by the time the vaccination has an effect on the animal, the disease could have overtaken the vaccination. Unless vaccination went to a wider area, we would only ever agree to discussions on vaccination with the prerequisite that vaccinated stock would be killed afterwards.

"And after all we've been through, going into a vaccination programme would delay the recovery. All the hard work that has gone into eradicating the disease ....it could extend the pain by many months."

No new cases of foot and mouth disease have been confirmed in North Yorkshire since August 18.

By 5pm yesterday, the total number of cases in the county remained at 134.

Protesters were today returning to a controversial foot and mouth mass grave to object to the disposal of slaughtered cattle and sheep.

Residents in Tow Law, County Durham, have mounted a long-running battle to get the Inkerman site closed amid fears that the site could cause environmental problems. The mass grave was re-opened yesterday after confirmation of a case on the Co Durham border at Newbiggin Farm in Blanchland.

Updated: 11:58 Monday, September 03, 2001