FARMS across West Devon were forced to adopt a siege mentality this week with the devastating news that foot and mouth disease had been confirmed in the area.
Barriers were hastily erected at farm entrances warning people to keep out. Postal, newspaper and grocery deliveries were made at specially arranged drop-off points in an attempt to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.
The drastic action was prompted by the discovery of foot and mouth at Burdon Farm at Highampton, between Hatherleigh and Holsworthy. Further outbreaks were confirmed at Hatherleigh and Hollacombe, near Holsworthy.
Livestock dealer Willie Cleave, of Burdon Grange, had unwittingly bought infected sheep at a Cumbrian market — they had originally come from a farm in Northumberland where the first cases of foot and mouth were identified.
Three of the four Devon cases confirmed this week involved livestock on farms owned or rented by Mr Cleave.
The confirmation sparked a military-style operation by Ministry of Agriculture officials and the police. Any farm where the disease was suspected was sealed off while tests were carried out.
As the Times went to press yesterday (Wednesday) MAFF said results were still awaited on two suspected cases in Chillaton and Lewdown. The suspect case in Chillaton is not linked to Mr Cleave at present, but the one at Lewdown has a vehicle tracing connection to the Highampton farmer.
Devon National Farmers' Union vice-chairman John Dawe, of Bere Ferrers, warned that all of the 40,000 sheep and 5,000 cattle on Dartmoor could have to be slaughtered if the outbreak was not contained in the next few days.
Even farm dogs and cats could have to be destroyed. The moor could be left 'as an overgrown common, like Roborough Down, beginning to be useless for anything,' he said.
Sheep farmers might be able to start again, buying ewes on their compensation money and rearing them for sale in September 2002. 'But they would be living on a knife-edge,' he said.
He feared that no moorland cattle farmers could survive in business given this outcome. 'Thousands of Devon farmers could lose their jobs, unless the government comes to their help, which I doubt,' he said. 'For Tavistock, farming is its lifeblood. If you lose that, it does not bear thinking about.'
Asked to estimate the chances of avoiding a mass slaughter, he said: 'We will be very lucky to escape.'
Neil Woolcock, of Tavistock auctioneers Ward and Chowen, said the situation was 'very, very depressing'.
'The cattle market is closed and we are abiding by MAFF rules and regulations,' he said. 'Because we are not having any markets we are not doing any business, so we are not earning any income.
'We made the decision not to make farm visits for valuation or stock assessment purposes, so we are not getting any income at all from the agricultural side of our business. It's obviously taking its toll, as it will on any business connected with agriculture.'
Mr Woolcock said the market would remain closed until MAFF was happy the outbreak was contained. He envisaged this would be at least three weeks, probably more than a month.
Mr Woolcock said the outbreak was a 'complete tragedy', following as it did from the BSE crisis and recent flooding incidents.
Ken Sanders, of Westmoor Veterinary Centre in Tavistock, said the atmosphere was one of fear.
'Initially we had a lot of calls saying "What do I look for, what are the symptoms?" but now they are getting stacks of information from websites. Certainly we've got no work now, we're twiddling our thumbs,' he said.
Mr Sanders said the situation was very serious indeed, and as the incubation period for the disease could be up to a fortnight, more cases could be reported.
'It looks as though it could be a disaster — It's a case of hold your breath for the next couple of days and see what happens — everybody is terribly worried.'
Mr Sanders, a member of Tavistock Town
Council, told councillors at this week's meeting: 'We are staring into the abyss — and that's an understatement as things stand at present.'
After the first case of the disease was confirmed in Devon, MAFF put all farmland on Dartmoor under restrictions.
A spokesman said it was unlikely any Dartmoor roads would be closed, but the authority was telling people driving across the moor not to leave their cars.