Liberal Democrats welcome easing of livestock movements

1.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 9th Aug 2007

Following the Defra announcement of the loosening of animal movement restrictions yesterday evening, farm animals can be taken to abattoirs for the first time today since the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey led to a ban on the movement of livestock last week. The restrictions were lifted at midnight for farmers outside the county's surveillance zone. Farmers welcomed the "first step" on the way to restoring normality. Meanwhile, test results on animal carcasses culled on a third farm, next to the second farm already affected, may not be available until Friday.

The Liberal Democrats have welcomed the news saying "It is not helpful for farmers or the tourist industry for dead animals to be left rotting in the countryside. If the risk assessment suggests that it is safe to move animals to slaughter, then that is excellent news for farmers up and down the country. Slaughterhouses have now been shut for three working days, and the supply of meat only lasts for seven, so shops have come worryingly close to running out of food."