FISH farmers with disease-threatened stocks should get European money to avoid financial ruin, an MEP says.

Tests now show two outbreaks in North Yorkshire of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) in fish.

The outbreak was first detected in an unidentified fish farm near the River Ouse, and then in wild fish in the River Nidd.

The outbreaks have led to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) slaughtering thousands of fish and putting 33 North Yorkshire fish farms in quarantine to prevent the disease spreading.

A ban on moving stock in the county's fish farms until tests were carried out has now been extended indefinitely.

Farmers face financial ruin, because farms where stock is killed due to VHS will not get Government compensation.

Edward McMillan-Scott, the MEP for Yorkshire and Humberside, is calling on the EU to give the farmers financial aid.

The European Parliament vice-president said: "This is the first time the disease has been found in mainland Britain and, as a consequence, the movement of fish has been banned across a large part of my constituency.

"It seems very unfair that a large number of fish farms should be financially penalised, especially if the ban continues and they are forced to destroy stocks."

He has also voiced concerns to European Fisheries Minister Mariann Fisher Boel.

The disease, which cannot be passed to humans, is highly infectious in fish.

It mainly affects rainbow trout and is more contagious in fish farms because of the proximity of the fish to each other.

The disease is common in Denmark and France, but the only other British outbreak was in 1994 on the Scottish island of Gigha.

Roger Williams, the Liberal Democrat's Defra spokesman, said: "With the disease spreading, it is clear that Defra has not done enough to stem it.

"Other European countries that have dealt with VHS have seen a significant economic impact on their fish farming industries.

"It remains to be seen how badly this will affect fish farming in the UK."