We have 559 confirmed cases.

The powers that be have predicted that we will not see the end of this until, at least, August. By then they estimate the total number of farms to loose livestock because of infection to be 4,400.

The Government have now authorised the culling of all livestock susceptible to the disease in all farms adjacent to an outbreak. In Southern Scotland, Cumbria and Devon, where the "hot spots" are, a three km cull zone is still in operation.

We went to visit with my in -laws today. A forty minute journey that, at this time of year, is usually a joy. New lambs and calf heavy cattle are the normal and delightful scenes to look at. Today we saw a small herd of deer in one field and a flock of about twenty sheep in another. Two seconds after I shouted, "I saw some sheep!" we passed the "INFECTED AREA" sign. Those fat and peaceful sheep will be gone in the morning.

Foot and Mouth has touched our lives deeply. My friends have seen the animals they bred and cared for, cherished and were proud of killed and burned. They have been isolated for a month in an empty farm. They still wake at four every morning and can find nothing to fill their waking hours.
Foot and Mouth is now less than three miles, as the crow flies, from our doorstep. This does not make it worse or more real to us, somehow it's inevitable.
The really frightening thing is that thirty seven years ago farmers were saying, "They won't let this happen again, they will never forget this!" In thirty years time will we have learned anything?