THE nightmare prospect of a foot and mouth disease outbreak within Dartmoor National Park became reality this week when hundreds of sheep and cattle were slaughtered at Dunnabridge Farm near Princetown.

The 600-acre Duchy of Cornwall farm is run by Roger and Marion Winsor, who first noticed signs of illness in their animals on Saturday.

Mrs Winsor told the Times this week of the experience that all farmers dread.

'You just can't describe the feeling, the desperation,' she said.

Mrs Winsor said she and her husband were devastated at the situation in which they found themselves.

'We have been watching and keeping our fingers crossed and doing everything we could at ground level — what else can you do?'

Foot and mouth disease was diagnosed in Highampton last week at a farm belonging to livestock dealer Willie Cleave — subsequent South West outbreaks have been linked to his farm.

'We have had absolutely no contact with Mr Cleave,' insisted Mrs Winsor, who said her husband was 'shattered' with the week's events.

'Last night they had to kill off the baby lambs — I don't know the number they killed yesterday, I don't ask,' said Mrs Winsor. She added that their cattle were in calf but they are unable to check their condition because of movement restrictions.

Mr and Mrs Winsor had 800 sheep and 170 beef cattle on their farm, including a herd of pedigree Welsh Blacks.

Mrs Winsor said: 'They are enclosed as opposed to being on common land, but if it is airborne, how did it get into a shed?

'I just don't know what is going to happen.'

Mrs Winsor said Prince Charles had been in contact with her and her husband and was 'very concerned' at the situation.

The Prince has said of the outbreak at Dunnabridge: 'It is an absolute nightmare, particularly as they have spent much of their lives building up a pedigree herd.'

The Duchy of Cornwall office said the Prince was being kept in close touch with developments and his thoughts were with the tenants and all farmers at this time.

Sheep belonging to Leyland and Jill Branfield who farm at Princetown may also be slaughtered as a result of the outbreak — some of their animals run on a small patch of common land adjacent to Dunnabridge Farm.

'I think it's quite likely we shall lose those, but I don't know what decisions MAFF have made,' said Mrs Branfield, who is now keeping her three children home from school.

'We've been taking precautions — clean clothes, disinfectant etc ever since it started, but I felt now I didn't want to take any risks. We've arranged to have work sent home for them,' she said.

'It's a waiting game, it could hit anywhere. It's like time standing still, you just live from one day to the next.'

Mrs Branfield said the prospect of losing stock did not just bring financial stress.

'It's not pleasant at all. Anyone who thinks farm animals are just numbers is wrong. You know them individually, however many there are. It would be very hard to lose them — we are just keeping our fingers crossed,' she said.

Anthony Gibson, NFU regional director, said the outbreak, in the middle of one of Britain's largest livestock areas, was a 'nightmare'.

He said: 'Ministry of Agriculture vets are already at full stretch and beyond as it is, so there is no way they could cope with the operation that would be needed to deal with a full-scale outbreak amongst all Dartmoor's livestock — the Army would have to be called in.

'If this disease really does take hold there, the consequences are too horrendous to contemplate.'

Dartmoor National Park Authority chairman Bill Cann said 'heartfelt sympathies' went out to everyone affected by the disease.

He said: 'It is clear the long-term implications for hill farming and its related industries, and for the tourism sector, are going to be severe.

'The authority will be looking to support and facilitate every possible means and aids to recovery as soon as the immediate crisis is controlled.'

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