15 August 2007

1 minute read

Europe

Possible outbreak at Chessington Zoo

A 3km temporary control zone was set up around a farm in the Romney Marsh area of Kent, after a farmer raised concerns that his cattle were displaying symptoms.

A similar restriction was set up around Chessington World of Adventures and Zoo in Surrey, which is outside the original surveillance zone.

Vets were called after one of the theme park's sheep began to display signs of the disease.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) stressed that the two 3km zones had been set up as a "precautionary measure" following "inconclusive assessments of clinical symptoms" by vets.

Stephen Furnival, whose arable farm is at the centre of the scare in Kent, said he "fully supported" the setting up of the control zone.

But the decision to impose the zones came as a blow to farmers who had been hoping that the foot-and-mouth outbreak had been contained.

Speaking outside Honeychild Manor Farm, in the village of St Mary in the Marsh, Mr Furnival said: "I understand that the setting up of a temporary control zone is a normal response and therefore I fully support this, pending the results of the tests."

Source: GuardianUnlimited