news that Devon was declared foot and mouth free on Monday has been welcomed by the farming community — but there is concern that the consequences of the outbreak would continue to be felt for some time, and vigilance was still essential.

Chairman of Okehampton and Hatherleigh branch of the NFU, Paul Griffiths, said it was 'good news and long overdue'.

'We have gone to hell and back since the end of February and been in the depths of despair. It is tremendous to see some light at the end of the tunnel — which until now has appeared blocked,' he said.

'This will make life easier for a lot of people. Let's hope that shortly we can see some sheep exported and get back to normality. This is a very positive step,' he added.

West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett welcomed the news 'at long last' but said things were going to take some time to return to normal.

He said: 'It should be remembered by the Government that although declared free of foot and mouth, the consequences of the outbreak will continue grievously to hurt our economy — not just the agricultural but also tourism and the many allied trades.'

The NFU's regional director, Anthony Gibson, said 'a long, dark shadow' had been lifted, but it would still be some time before life for farmers anywhere in the South West would get back to anything like normal.

The lifting of restrictions means farmers will now be able to move store stock for finishing to farms outside the county — albeit still under licence.. Also, sheep would no longer have to be blood-tested before movement.

The lifting followed a huge surveillance operation, during which 416,000 animals from 4,600 holdings in the county were tested for the presence of the disease.

Forty vets are still working on foot and mouth-related issues in the county, compared with more than 200 at the height of the outbreak.

There is still uncertainty over when livestock markets will resume. Greg Vick, of KVN Stockdale, which runs Hatherleigh livestock market , said there was no information at present, but DEFRA would be issuing rules and regulations concerning repairs to markets.

He added: 'If a market was perfect I would imagine it would be the end of January or beginning of February before they could resume, but I think we will need to spend some money on ours.'

In Tavistock the market, which has already had a lot of work carried out on it, was due to be inspected by Trading Standards this week to enable it to open as a collecting centre for stock.

But Russell Woolcock, of market auctioneers Ward and Chowen, said there was no news of when markets would resume. 'I wish I had a crystal ball,' he said.

DEFRA minister Lord Whitty said the scale of the surveillance testing operation had 'required great patience from the whole community, especially farmers'.

He emphasised the need for continued vigilance and strict biosecurity. 'It is the responsibility of everyone — farmers, DEFRA officers and the wider community — to maintain standards and help us ensure that this disease is fully eradicated,' he said.

This warning was backed up by Devon County Council, which said more than 200 footpaths and bridleways would remain closed for the time being, although 96 per cent of the network had been re-opened.

The county council also warned that winter was likely to trigger casualties among Devon's small businesses which had lost vital income during the summer due to foot and mouth. The council's own costs would soon exceed £250,000. It said its job would not be finished until the Recovery Plan was delivered.

Mayor of West Devon Cllr Robin Pike expressed his delight at the news 'after all the trauma of this year' and urged everyone to continue their support for local farmers and local produce.