THE battle against foot-and-mouth suffered a setback today as more cases were confirmed - while the Government department handling the crisis faced severe criticism.

Two new cases were revealed in the bio-security "fortress" area around Thirsk, North Yorkshire, bringing the total in the county to 134.

Animals at Griffin Farm, which shares land at Sandhill Farm, Bagby, and Glenside Farm, Kepwick, near Thirsk, are to be slaughtered.

Livestock at Horsehouse Farm, Lealholm, near Whitby, were also being slaughtered on suspicion of having the disease.

As fears over the new cases were expressed, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) condemned the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for providing little information to the farming and tourism industries throughout the crisis.

Dorothy Fairburn, regional director of the CLA in Yorkshire, said there were numerous lessons to be learned from the epidemic, particularly improving communications.

"What is so sad about foot-and-mouth disease is that it has caused terrible stress to our members - farmers and business people in rural areas - and that they are telephoning our office asking for information on all aspects of the disease," she said.

"If the new organisation (Defra) communicated clearly and in good time this would save considerable stress. We are happy to help our members during this period, but a lot of the information they need should be available from those making the decisions - the staff at Defra."

However, a Defra spokeswoman insisted: "Defra takes its relationship with farming and tourist communities very seriously and has, throughout the foot-and-mouth crisis, ensured information on policy and action has been communicated through numerous channels."

She added: "A website is fully operational and designed to provide easy access to information at national and local levels."

Read more about the foot-and-mouth crisis here.