Britain could use foot and mouth vaccination

By early Sunday the number of cases of the disease reached 1,308, with 17 new cases found on Saturday. A total of 541,000 animals are awaiting slaughter and 400,000 carcasses are awaiting disposal.

The government has said that scientific adviser David King's advice will be an "important factor" in reaching a decision on vaccination, which could be announced next week.

King's report follows government admissions that slaughter and disposal need to be speeded up.

He argues that infectivity in badly hit areas like Cumbria in the northwest of England and Devon in the southwest could be reduced if cattle are vaccinated before they move from winter accommodation under shelter into open fields.

An crisis committee has already identified 37 waste sites around the country for the disposal of hundreds of thousands of animal carcasses, although there is opposition from local authorities and residents.

Fear rose of a third case of the disease in Northern Ireland, less than 24 hours after tests on a dairy herd at Ardboe in County Tyrone proved positive.

After an initial case the province was thought free of the disease and had regained European Union permission to export meat. This has now been withdrawn again.

(bb/sda)