FARMERS who have lost everything to the crisis have pooled together to help neighbours in the mass clear-up.

Farmers and farm hands are working with Northumberland and Durham Machinery Ring, of Crook, County Durham, to clean farms.

The business, which has three employees, had to take on extra staff and open another office to meet demand as the crisis escalated.

So far, the company has assisted the Ministry of Agriculture (Maff) in the clear-up of more than 100 farms.

Squads bringing together labour and machinery have been set up to help the army and Maff vets carry out their tasks.

Each squad consists of a telescopic driver, a pressure washer, a water bowser, a labourer and a pick-up truck.

They are available at short notice for farms that need to be culled, cleared and disinfected.

Coordinator Anne Hastie said: "They find it upsetting going out to the farms, but it helps both parties to know they are not alone.''

Staff might be working around the clock to cope with the crisis at the moment, but the farming industry faces an uncertain future.

Mrs Hastie said: "We will be here for our surviving farming members. The business was running before the crisis, and it will continue afterwards.''

At the moment, more than 250 farmers, from Darlington to Belford, Northumberland, have equipment and labour registered with the machinery ring, which was set up in 1998.

It rents equipment and labour to farms which need help and gives those with machinery standing idle the chance to hire it out.