THANKS to loyal customers Les and Valerie Wonnacott are back on the road with their daily deliveries of 'green top' or unpasteurised milk following a five-month shut down during the foot and mouth crisis.

The couple, who have been producing milk on their farm at South Zeal since 1947, are among the last few specialist milk producers in Devon.

Les Wonnacott, who is now 74, said increasingly tighter regulations and the foot and mouth crisis had caused the greatest threats to their business in 50 years, but they had managed to keep going.

'The EU try to frighten us and they would like to stop green milk but my customers agree that you cannot beat it for taste or freshness,' he said.

'One lady said to me that she had not had one decent cup of tea since the foot and mouth crisis started because she was not getting her daily delivery of green top.'

Les and Valerie, his 'right hand' woman, deliver to 70 customers a day throughout the South Zeal area.

Les said it was down to them that he had been able to pick up where he left off.

'They have been so loyal and stayed with us for which we are very grateful,' he said.

'I call unpasteurised milk proper milk and once people have had a taste they rarely go back to anything else — it's the real thing.

'I have drunk unpasteurised milk all my life and so did my mother who lived until she was 94 so there can't be much wrong with it.'

Some customers in South Zeal have been with Les since he took on the business although sadly many have passed away.

'It's a bit of a tradition really and I like to keep up traditions,' said Les. 'The business keeps me fit — they will have to carry me out before I give up.'