A FARMING family is celebrating some good news for a change after winning the holiday of a lifetime.

Geoff and Yvonne Storr were devastated earlier this month when they had to have 170 sheep, which were hefted on the fell near their home at Copley Bent Farm, Butterknowle, culled under the contiguous contact rule.

But their heartbreak was lightened a little when, after attending a party in North Yorkshire, Mrs Storr popped into Bedale to shop and buy a lottery ticket.

"I put on my usual line, a lucky dip and a lottery extra and handed over my £3," she said. "But the machine played a little tune and the shopkeeper said I had won a prize.

"I thought it would be a free go on the lottery or something like that," said Mrs Storr. "I was flabbergasted to find I had won a holiday promotion to the value of £5,000. I was so excited at the time I can't even remember which shop I bought it at."

Mrs Storr had to register her win with Camelot and send her ticket away for confirmation. "So although I won nothing on the lottery it was still a lucky ticket," she added.

The couple, who have two children, Richard and Andrew, are delighted with their prize. They had to choose their trip from the Thomas Cook brochure and have decided to visit Boston in Massachusetts before exploring New England and going on to Niagara Falls. But they will wait until next year before making the two-week trip.

"I somehow don't think a party of Durham sheep farmers would go down well in rural America at the moment," said Mrs Storr.

The family is still under a D-notice, which means that although they can leave their own premises they must not come into contact with other farms. They have 50 remaining sheep at Copley Bent, but do not know for how long. "We are lucky in that they were not in contact with our hefted sheep," said Mrs Storr. "We still have our bloodlines and hope to be able to start again, providing they don't have to be culled. It is an agonising wait, but if I feel down I look at the holiday brochure and feel we at least have one thing to look forward to."

l A SECOND case of foot-and-mouth has broken out in the Darlington area.

High House Farm at Brafferton, owned by Tony and Janice Swinbank, had the disease confirmed last Friday. Their 495 sheep and 114 cattle were slaughtered the following day.

Livestock at three neighbouring farms were also slaughtered.

Lovesome Hill Farm lost 564 sheep, while 82 sheep were killed at Whinfield Farm and High Grange Farm lost its flock of 89 sheep.

l A MASSIVE slaughter programme on 19 farms began on Wednesday following confirmation of two new cases of foot and mouth at East Cowton, between Darlington and Northallerton.

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