A FARMING couple spoke yesterday of their misery and relief - after being told that their slaughtered flock of sheep had in fact been healthy.

Yvonne and Richard Wilkinson had to sit by helplessly as 270 sheep were killed on the orders of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff), earlier this month.

The flock was on land two miles from their home, Manor House Farm, at Sneaton, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, and was destroyed on May 6 after vets found indications of foot-and-mouth disease.

Yesterday, Maff officials admitted that laboratory tests on the slaughtered sheep had proved negative.

It followed the announcement that up to 30 per cent of "confirmed" cases nationally had also proved negative.

The Wilkinsons, who were left with a herd of dairy cows and a flock of 50 sheep on their home farm, were last night coming to terms with the news.

"We are bitter and angry that the Ministry didn't wait for a result before they started to slaughter," said Mr Wilkinson.

"But we are also very relieved the results have proved negative, that we have healthy animals left on our home farm and that neighbouring farmers will not have to go through the same thing we did."

A spokesman for Maff insisted that they had no desire to slaughter any more animals than was strictly necessary.

"The number one priority has had to be speed of slaughter. It has been crucial to the success of the control and eradication of the disease," he said.

He said decisions were made after a clinical diagnosis in the field and more than 70 per cent had later proved to be positive.

A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union said it would be hypocritical for them to criticise Maff after their initial criticism of the Ministry for not moving fast enough.

"It is great news that tests on the Sneaton flock have proved negative - but if the animals had not been slaughtered and the tests had proved positive, they would potentially have been spreading the disease for another five of six days."

l Yesterday, the tally of foot-and-mouth cases in North Yorkshire increased to 26, with confirmation of a further three cases in the west of the county.

Cases were confirmed and animals slaughtered at Cowside Farm and Lower Winskill Farm, Langcliffe, and at Close House Farm, Giggleswick, both near Settle.