Devastated organisers have been forced to cancel a popular Black Country farm show because of the latest foot and mouth disease scare.Halesowen and Hagley Farmers Club were expecting around 1,500 people to come to their annual show on Saturday.

The event at Brookfield Farm in Belbroughton would have included a ploughing match between vintage and modern tractors and around 150 horses.

But the latest foot and mouth outbreak in Surrey has meant the Government has re-imposed a ban on moving livestock.

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Devastated organisers have been forced to cancel a popular Black Country farm show because of the latest foot and mouth disease scare.

Halesowen and Hagley Farmers Club were expecting around 1,500 people to come to their annual show on Saturday.

The event at Brookfield Farm in Belbroughton would have included a ploughing match between vintage and modern tractors and around 150 horses.

But the latest foot and mouth outbreak in Surrey has meant the Government has re-imposed a ban on moving livestock.It is the second time that the show has had to be cancelled in its 61-year history, the first being during the first foot and mouth crisis in 2001. Because livestock cannot be moved for 28 days there is no time to reschedule the event before the winter meaning it must be cancelled altogether.

Club president Hazel Sheppard said:”We are absolutely devastated but it is the right thing to do.

“There is a large herd of cows and we know the virus can last on car tyres for 28 days.

“We can’t even move the cows down the road.”

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today denied that the Government had been too quick to declare Britain foot and mouth free.

If follows claims by Tory leader David Cameron that experts were told to give the all-clear too soon. Asked if the Chief Veterinary Officer had been put under pressure to declare the nation foot and mouth free last Friday for economic reasons, Mr Benn said: “Absolutely not. There’s no truth in that whatsoever.”

Tests are being run to determine whether the latest outbreak is a continuation of the previous one.

Strain

Mr Benn said it was not yet known whether the fresh foot and mouth outbreak was of the same strain.

He insisted: “We have acted at every stage in accordance with the evidence and the science.

“As with the previous outbreak, as soon as foot and mouth was confirmed we put the national movement ban in place and we put the protection zone in place.

“This is news that nobody wanted to hear, especially the farming community given all the difficulties that they have been through.

“It may well be this is a continuation, we don’t know that for sure, but the means of dealing with it are exactly the same – a national movement ban, protection zone and of course the vigilance of farmers.”

Mr Benn admitted immunisation of livestock was being considered. He said vaccines were ready for use, as they were during the previous outbreak.

And he confirmed farmers who lose their livestock would receive compensation.

¥ Anyone wanting details of the cancellation of the Halesowen and Hagley Farmers Club show should call 0121 550 5817.