ANIMAL movement restrictions in North and East Yorkshire have been dramatically extended in a bid to prevent the further spread of foot and mouth disease.

The announcement by DEFRA follows confirmation of two new cases in Northumberland yesterday, and means that no animals can be moved on or off farms within a 6,100 square mile area in the North East, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria.

The news has come as a blow to farmers in North Yorkshire - who are already subject to bio-security measures centred on Thirsk - who had hoped to start moving their animals again on September 17.

There have been no new cases in North Yorkshire since August 18.

But now the animal movement restrictions, known as a red box, will remain in place for at least 21 days, meaning some farmers will have been affected for two months.

Derek Watson, York county chairman of the National Farmers' Union, said the extended restriction would be "The last nail in the coffin for an awful lot of farmers."

His farm at Knapton near Malton is already subject to red box restrictions, meaning he is unable to move the 250 pigs a week produced on the farm, and he has had no income for five weeks.

Mr Watson said: "We are going to have to decide how we can survive the next three weeks. It's going to make life extremely difficult for every farmer because it's totally wrecking the cash flow of the businesses.

"If it did go on longer than 21 days we have got a total disaster for the livestock industry in the North of England.

"DEFRA is worried to death that foot and mouth will get into the pig population and they are doing everything they can to keep it out.

John Rowbottom, who farms in Melbourne said: "This means I'll have to slaughter another 1,400 pigs. It's just another nail in the coffin of British agriculture which is pretty down and out now.

Even tougher restrictions - known as a blue box - have been in force around Thirsk, including Northallerton, Harrogate, North York and Malton, since July 30.

A red box also extended around that area and out towards the east coast.

Now that red box has been extended substantially to the North and West to link up with restrictions in Northumberland and Cumbria.

A DEFRA spokesman said: "Rather than doing three little areas it was felt that it would need to be hit hard in this area."

Updated: 08:35 Thursday, September 06, 2001