SO, ACCORDING to the national news the foot and mouth crisis has been caused by dodgy farmers moving livestock around to maximise European subsidies. The NFU refutes this.
I have heard similar opinions expressed in Okehampton, which probably would not have happened up to five years ago when the predominantly rural character of similar small towns was changed by the migrations of urban dwellers.
'T'was ever thus': the odd rotten apple always corrupts the contents of the barrel. What we must not lose sight of, however, is that the overwhelming majority of farmers do not flash around in state-of-the-art Landcruisers playing country squires. They are decent, law-abiding and extremely hard-working people who are now seeing the results of a lifetime of such qualities literally going up in smoke.
They deserve not only our sympathy and our prayers but our support in whatever small ways we can give it.
Zoë Bradshaw
March Court Cottage
East Street
Okehampton