THE Government was threatened with a "rural revolt" last night after announcing that thousands of healthy animals face slaughter to halt foot-and-mouth disease.

This comes as the number of confirmed cases rose to 251, including Northern Ireland.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown announced that sheep and pigs susceptible to foot-and-mouth are to be culled in three kilometre-wide zones in areas of high infection. It was not yet known how many animals could be affected, but he said it would be a "substantial" number - more than 100,000.

But Andrew Spence, from Leadgate, County Durham, regional coordinator for Farmers For Action, North-East, said the announcement to cull healthy animals would cause "rural revolt".

"There are a lot of farmers up here who are going to go hell for leather at the Government. Farmers up here will not tolerate anyone coming in and slaughtering animals that are not infected.

"It's bad enough killing them when they are infected, but to see a lifetime's work go down the drain is not on.

"There's going to be hell at the first farm they come to slaughter livestock. We want a meeting with Nick Brown within the next 24 hours, and we want the Army brought in to get the infected animals slaughtered and dealt with immediately."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted yesterday that nobody was sure how to handle the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Mr Blair revealed his concern to 40-year-old Janet Bell, the owner of Robinson's, the last small abattoir in his Sedgefield constituency.

His admission came as another case was confirmed at Low Houselope Farm, in Tow Law, County Durham, where 242 cattle and 650 sheep will have to be destroyed.

Mrs Bell, whose family also own a butchery and catering business in Wingate, County Durham, caught Mr Blair's attention during his visit to a nursery.

Mrs Bell said: "He asked me how butchers were surviving in the crisis.

"I told him we were managing quite nicely, but I told him I am sure there are a lot who are struggling."

She said Mr Blair replied: "I am sure there are. It is a whole new ball game and nobody's sure how to handle it."

Mrs Bell, whose abattoir lies inside an exclusion zone following a suspected outbreak of foot-and-mouth in the Sedgefield area, said: "We have been able to slaughter today for the first time since last Monday."