WALKERS are being urged to stay away from the countryside as farmers take steps to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.

Mr John Rider, pig producer and chairman of the North Riding and County Durham branch of the National Farmers' Union, told the D&S Times: "We must ask the public - please - during a major crisis like this: don't go out and walk the footpaths.

"I know they have the right to do so, but there are occasions when, if they love the countryside, they have to be inconvenienced to a degree. They can't know if they are transmitting the infection and can quite unwittingly put animals at risk."

Commenting on the outbreak around an Essex abattoir, he went on: "It really seems to be one damn thing after another for farmers. All one can say is it is quite amazing this has occurred .

"There is comparatively no foot and mouth about in Europe. It hasn't been in this country for 20 years. Where does it come from?

"I am convinced we are doing something wrong in this country in the way we allow in meat and meat products.

The main priority now was to exterminate the disease.

"The ban on exporting meat is going to have an horrendous affect on the country, coming after the BSE crisis, classical swine fever in pigs and general problems in agriculture across Europe."

"The strength of the pound against the euro is allowing cheap imports to come and we also have a retail and commercial trade intent on buying the cheapest from wherever they can in the world - forgetting about welfare and health standards."

Mr Ben Gill, president of the NFU, said the temporary ban on exports of live animals and meat from Britain would be devastating for farmers, but was a necessary evil to control the spread of foot and mouth disease.

He said farmers would do whatever it took to stop the disease turning into the complete catastrophe of the 60s.

"This ban will be devastating for us - it is like staring into the abyss. On top of all the problems we have had to surmount in the last few years, the impact is unthinkable.

"But it is in the interests of the whole of the British livestock industry that the spread of the disease is halted and there is simply no alternative."

A spokesman for the Ramblers' Association said it was acting on advice from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by asking members to divert all walks away from farm land.

"We are asking members to keep in touch with their local MAFF offices," she added. "But if there is any doubt, then walks should be cancelled."