EXPERTS investigating the foot and mouth outbreak said last night there was a "strong probability" the source of the virus was a laboratory site in Surrey. An inconclusive report by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also said there was a "real possibility" the disease was spread by human movement, but virtually ruled out theories that it had been spread by floods or through the air.

The report failed to pinpoint which of two laboratories at Pirbright was the most likely source of the outbreak.

One is the Government's Institute for Animal Health (IAH) and the other is run by Merial Animal Health.

The Government res-ponded immediately by closing footpaths in the protection zone, which includes the two infected farms in Surrey whose cattle have been culled and was set up after the outbreak was first identified.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for an updated report on the crisis to be published today and promised to increase compensation for farmers whose stock has been affected.

He said 46 farms had been tested and investigations would focus on whether human movement from Pirbright was behind the outbreak. "What we are seeing is determined effort to answer the questions that have been raised over the past few days.

"We will continue these investigations so we get an isolation of the disease itself, and an isolation of the cause of the disease".

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, MP for Leeds Central, said the possibility that the strain had been released by human movement would be investigated further as a matter of urgency with further interviews of personnel at the site.

He had also asked for a further report on these investigations as soon as possible.

But National Farmers' Union president Peter Kendall said farmers would be "astonished and horrified" if the Pirbright site were found to be definitely responsible for the outbreak.

"Farmers are having their livelihoods damaged. If this has come from a commercial activity or a Government agency farmers will be horrified, angry and very upset."

Shadow Environment Secretary Peter Ainsworth said: "It is no surprise but nonetheless shocking that the report identifies a major bio-security failure at a Government laboratory and laboratory licensed by Defra as the two most likely sources of the outbreak of this disease." It would do nothing to reassure farmers across the country, he added.

John Gunner, owner of the second farm involved in the outbreak, revealed last night that his cattle had received the all-clear from vets on Sunday, but by Monday they were showing signs of illness, including limping and drooling.

"It has just wiped us out. It is our only income. I'm just devastated. I will try and recover but it will be difficult," he said.
Meanwhile the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) was labelled "downright barmy" for flouting Defra guidelines to prevent the disease spreading.

Inspectors from the agency are continuing to check qualifications for subsidy despite Government advice for people to avoid going onto farms "unless absolutely necessary".

A spokesman for the RPA, which has been heavily criticised for failing to pay subsidies owed to thousands of farmers, said: "As far as we're concerned, outside the two exclusion zones in Surrey it's business as usual. The countryside is still open."

But there was strong criticism by two Yorkshire MPs and the regional director of an influential countryside pressure group.

Robert Goodwill, Tory MP for Scarborough and Whitby and also a farmer, said: "This is downright barmy – there's no reason they can't do these checks on some other occasion.

"We all know not to go to others' farms at the moment – during the last epidemic I knew of farmers who became complete hermits because they were so scared of spreading the infection.

"It's not like the RPA haven't got a backlog of work to do paying subsidies from 2005. Maybe they should use this opportunity to spend some time in the office sorting out all the paperwork that's piling up."

Greg Knight, Tory MP for East Yorkshire, said: "One would have expected the Rural Payments Agency not only to obey the letter of the law, but also to show some restraint and compassion at this time of crisis."

Dorothy Fairburn, Yorkshire director of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said: "The Defra guidelines are very specific and I'm horrified the RPA have taken this position. As a Government agency itself it should be upholding these guidelines to the letter."

The CLA is considering urging the Government to create a hardship fund to help businesses affected by the foot and mouth crisis.

Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth, who met Yorkshire NFU representatives yesterday, said the RPA was entitled to continue checks outside the protection zone.

It was not doing anything within that zone, he said.

But John Gatenby, county chairman of the NFU's York East branch, said the RPA should show "common sense" and postpone checks at livestock farms.

HM Revenue & Customs is to relax its rules on settling tax demands to help businesses which are affected by the foot and mouth outbreak, it announced last night.

08 August 2007 Yorkshire Post