Evening Press reporter Tony Tierney and photographer Frank Dwyer found what foot and mouth really means as they shadowed North Yorkshire soldiers on their grim mission in Cumbria.

"I thought I would cry when I saw it at first, but I just look at that heap and they have lost all identity. I just cannot see them as animals that I've looked after for years."

There is a strange emptiness as farmer Robert Norman surveys the huge pile of putrefying carcasses that was once his 598-head herd.

The place where his family has farmed since 1540 has fallen silent since the slaughtermen came on Saturday to destroy his 1,600 sheep and his beef herd.

His worst nightmare came true the day before when he spotted some of his sheep frothing at the mouth.

A vet was called in, foot and mouth diagnosed, and slaughter swiftly followed.

Mr Norman's sheep were removed to the mass burial site at Great Orton Airfield, not far from his 500-acre Bow Farm at Great Orton, near Carlisle, on Monday night.

But yesterday he was still waiting to find out when the huge stinking heap of cattle carcasses could be removed or burned.

"The sooner it is out of sight the better," he said, surveying his dead cows and calves, and the remains of his four prized pedigree bulls.

He is angry at being forced to face the sight of his culled herd each day.

"The boys on the ground - the Army, vets and local contractors - have been excellent, but the Government has been rubbish, just diabolical," he said.

"They are sitting in their offices in London taking no notice. They need to see the devastation because we need answers."

Even with Government compensation, Mr Norman is worried about how he will buy his way back into business when many others will be trying to do the same.

"If it wasn't for my son's interest I would pack up right now," he said.

His son, Hilton, 22, wants to keep the family tradition alive, but may have to wait nine months before cattle can be allowed on the farm again. Even then it will take time for the herd to be rebuilt.

Hilton said: "We got through BSE, things kind of looked up and now it is all gone."

Roughly ten days ago the Army was called in to help speed up culling and disposal of infected and suspect animals.

Officers and senior non-commissioned officers from 1st Battalion The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire, which recruits heavily from York and North Yorkshire, have been helping from a temporary headquarters on an industrial estate car park in Carlisle.

Before the Army joined the fight, about 20,000 animals had been dealt with. Now 193,000 sheep have been cleared, along with 15,000 cows and 20,000 pigs.

Soldiers are now working flat out with Government agencies to clear the backlog.

Sergeant Sean Perry, whose wife, Teresa, and five children live in Richmond, is one of 70 military liaison officers working with agencies and farmers to get the job done.

He has been with Mr Norman since the outbreak at his farm.

He said: "It has been quite an emotional experience having to watch someone have their livelihood destroyed.

"Nobody likes to see death and I have seen more than 2,000 animals being culled so far. Seeing the calves and lambs is the worst, but you know it has to be done."

Another military liaison officer is Sergeant Major Bryan Hunter, from Huntington.

"It's been a bit of an eye-opener," he said.

"It is not very pleasant, but it's a job that needs to be done."

Sgt Maj Hunter was on a particularly gruesome task at a pig farm, where a vet had ordered the slaughter of hundreds of animals still in their pens.

This meant the pens had to be dismantled with cutting gear before the carcasses could be dragged out. The task was so grim, one of the labourers was sick.

Sgt Maj Hunter said: "I'm an animal lover and it really isn't very nice seeing what's going on here. But you have to keep reminding yourself there are good reasons."

One farmer was rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack the night the vet came to diagnose his animals.

Sgt Maj Hunter said officers had been offering a shoulder to cry on as well as practical help.

"We have got to be careful how we treat the farmers as they are obviously upset enough.

"I am not an expert on farming, but I'm a good listener."

As the slaughter continued, wagons packed with bleating sheep pulled into Great Orton Airfield past floral tributes with messages of sympathy for the farmers and their animals.

Today the fight in Cumbria went on.

Mr Norman, who has been through the nightmare himself, warned: "I don't think it's really got started yet."

Updated: 15:46 Wednesday, April 04, 2001