Slaughter can begin under general license

- Published: 08 August, 2007

The government's chief vet has announced the movement of livestock to slaughter will be allowed to resume at midnight tonight under general license with strict bio-security measures.

Debby Reynolds said this would only apply outside the protection and surveillance zones in Surrey.

Dead animals will also be allowed to be collected under general license.

Reynolds also told a press conference that a third herd of cattle will be culled in Surrey on suspicion of another FMD outbreak at the adjacent farm to the second infected herd. "I cannot rule out that disease is developing on the premises," she said.

Test results this morning have also shown that the strain of FMD found on the second affected farm "appears to be the same as the strain identified on the first farm on 4 August," said Reynolds.