NEW cases of foot and mouth near Thirsk and at Lealholm near Whitby, have left farmers fearing that the area's vital pig and dairy communities could be in jeopardy.

National Farmers' Union spokesman Rob Simpson said: "The concern is now very much for the pig farming community in the Vale of York.

"Pigs are 3,000 times more infectious than sheep, so the situation really is grim."

A senior Government vet says North Yorkshire should be on red alert to prevent an explosion of foot and mouth in the pig farming community.

Fred Landeg, a vet with DEFRA, said he was concerned the disease could spread into intensive pig-farming areas in the Vale of York, which begin only 10 miles from the site of the latest outbreak, in Thirsk.

He described pig farms as potential virus factories, which breathe out vast quantities of the virus.

Mr Landeg said farmers in Thirsk should take extra care to disinfect farm vehicles.

He also said that vaccination of animals had not been ruled out

Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh spoke of a "climate of anguish and fear" in the area's farming community.

"People fear that it is only a matter of time before these acres of farming and rare breeds become exposed," she said.

"I am still extremely alarmed by the reopening of footpaths across North Yorkshire, and believe that cannot help this terrible situation."

The MP has written to agriculture minister Margaret Beckett to outline her fears.

DEFRA confirmed that it is considering setting up a control centre at Northallerton to give its vets a staging post in the battle to contain the disease.

A spokeswoman for DEFRA said the idea was not a response to the Thirsk flare-up, but a contingency plan with no definite timescale.

Meanwhile, the General Synod of the Church of England, meeting for its annual parliament at the University of York, has voted to call for a public inquiry into foot and mouth.

Members said the crisis had been allowed to slip off the national agenda, highlighting the fact that there was little mention of foot and mouth in the Queen's Speech.

Lay member Martin Dales, of Old Malton, who represents North Yorkshire at the synod, said: "We wanted to use the great strength of voice of the Church of England to call for a public inquiry."

Updated: 09:33 Thursday, July 12, 2001