A FARMER at the centre of a suspected new foot-and-mouth disease outbreak says he is confident his cattle do not have the disease.

It was announced this morning that there is a "clinical suspicion" of a new outbreak in Surrey - outside the existing surveillance zone.

Chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds said a new 3km (1.8 mile) temporary control zone was in place at the farm.

If the outbreak was confirmed, it would be the first outside the existing 10km surveillance zone.

But Laurence Matthews, who owns the farm, near Dorking, said he was confident his cattle did not have foot-and-mouth.