The mystery is why we refuse to vaccinate and insist on mass slaughter, as last time. The answer probably is partially civil service perversity and obstinacy.

It also seems likely that we are wrecking the bulk of the farming industry and wrecking the environment in order, at enormous cost to everyone else, to preserve the fairly small export revenues of a smallish number of large farmers with connections.

Holland has shown clearly that vaccination works, and is far cheaper and better for farmers in general and the environment. The science is not open to dispute. The politics is another matter.

Frederick DesLauriers, London, England

Holy Cow! Britain faces another catastrophe as those pesky hoof-and-mouth providers of our Sunday roasts just can't stay clean. Sure, let's limit the damage. Let's assure the public, too, once ministry finds out how this came to pass in the first place, and provides us with a transparent account.

J Robert Barry, Hamden, ct

Sabotaged by the French again, funny how the outbreak is so near the South coast. When are we going to learn that our friends over the channel absolutely hate us?

David Harrison, Liverpool,

It should be mentioned that foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious between animals, but that it is in no way a danger for humans and human consumption of pork products. I still can´t understand the hype surrounding this disease, with culling being the same treatment as it has been 60 years ago. We should find a better solution for probs like that.

Chris, Osnabrück, Germany

Francis of Sunderland. your comment shows you are our first victim of the 2007 foot & mouth outbreak

JoelF, London,

With this incompetent government and its pathetic policies I'm just waiting for another outbreak of the Black Death to occur.

Steve P, Leeds , England

Francis You are out of touch. Foot and mouth has to be contained and eradicated from British Farms. If this means random testing in all farms throughout the UK then so be it. We cannot have the same situation of 2001 where inaction led to derogation of the Industry.

It is Defra duty to make sure that this disease does not spread out of proportion. The Government response has been a responsible one and Defra have improved immensly since 2001.

The safety of other animals is a primary concern thats why there needs to be random testing as this disease can travel by wind. So complacency is no option and Defra response so far has ben prudent.

Sohail Khan, London, UK

lets hope that the government has learned lessons from its failures in 2001.
The farming community needs positive actions and support not incompetence and spin from a government in disarray.
The government has held done verry little to help the farming community in the last decade.
Now is the time to publically demonstrate its commitment to a thriving british farming community.

P J Chapman, Horley, Surrey

Restrictions on the Surrey farm were put in place on Thursday evening . So as a precaution, why did they not put the other bans in place as well, while the tests to confirm foot and mouth were carried out. Instead 24hrs passed before confirmation, during which time the disease could have spread .

Ron, Glasgow, Scotland

I have always thought that throwing a laboratory phial containing killer diseases over a ditch, or in a tubestation, would be the sorts of the awful prospect to be faced from the terrorist movements of this world. How many farmers awoke this morning to ask themselves "could this be the work of Al Qaeda". Is there a need to recognise the possibility, or a needto publicly discount it?

McGahon, Dublin, Ireland

In 2001 when we had the worst case of ‘Foot & Mouth’ disease in the UK’s history, Downing Street flew in the world’s no.1 leading authority on the disease from the USA. His name was the late professor Fred Brown Hon.M.W.I.F, an eminent member of the WIF. Professor Brown immediately recommended to Tony Blair and Downing Street that they should immunise the British animal stock immediately. Professor Brown went back to the USA and where the prime minister at the time took no notice whatsoever of the world’s leading authority’s recommendation. Thereafter the debacle of the Foot and Mouth epidemic became all too apparent after 6-months and where it was a clear case of negligence in not taking on-board the best advice in the world at the time. Indeed, the industry and nation suffered immensely in respect of the financial burden and to the nations' total demise abroad. Therefore today let us hope that Gordon Brown has more sense and acts in a way which should have been the case in 2001, immunization of our national cattle et al. It is the only answer if history is not to be repeated.

Dr David Hill, huddersfield, uk

Francis in Sunderland,have you lost the plot.This is very serious outbrake and could bankrupt many businesses,trying to make cheap political capital out of it wont benifit anyone. Are you a member of BNP or some other looney political grouping?

Bill Rees, Pieusse, France.

Another problem caused by amateurs playing at farming with huge government subsidy. No other industry would carry on like this.

The UK farming industry, although declining should be allowed to continue, despite its dreadfull record of environmental compliance, safety, quality control, management and its huge negative impact on the UK economy and the quality of life of the people of Britian.

There needs to be proper regulation of how they do things and use of professionals rather than I am a farmer because my dad was and I like the nice status and keeping horses, foxhunting, badger bating and all that other BS.

Lets turn the SE of England into a great park to support the quality of life of the good citties that actually make Britain the marvelous thriving place it is.

They do not run the country anymore. And as for Tim Bonner, we should remember he represents the problem, "all that is bad about how we are letting farmers run as if we were still in the 1950s."

Matthew, Sacramento, CA

Close the farm and turn it into a park

Matthew, Sacramento, CA

I don't agree with the previous paranoic message.

More seriously, from last time round, it is quite clear that none of the experts have a clue about how this disease is transmitted. Reading their comments was like reading books about tropical health written before the role of the moquito in the transmission of malaria was discovered.

If this was a human disease, where mass slaughter is still thankfully not a legitimate method of control, the rearch would have been done years ago.

Dru Brooke-Taylor, Bristol,

have we learnt lessons from 2001?
no pires no close of countryside
or will the government us this to kill summer season
for rural businesses?
as with air travel they want people to be dissrupted
controled and afraid

wright, bala, wales

Let's hope the government doesn't make a pig's ear of this as they did the last time. Let's have no panic and no farmer suicide.

Ian, Bristol,

Absolutely ridiculous conspiracy theory. I just hope it doesn't spread and that immediate isolation, culling, and ban on movement of certain animals will be enough to contain it. Financial support should available to those farmers unfortunate enough to cull their animals.

John, Surrey, Nr Guildford.

John, Surrey, England

I feel for the farmers involved in this, I hope that Gordon deals with it in a more efficient way than Tony!! I do think it's somewhat of a coincidence that the government reference laboratory for food and mouth disease is in nearby Pirbright!

richard bailey, UK,

The earlier message seems to suggest that 'English-ness' or being 'English' is associated with Not taking adequate precautions! It does appear ludicrous that we need to live with infected animals on order to merit 'English-ness' even if it meant wide-spread health hazards. A bit of discretion although not unwarranted in such times, would however pale in significance as opposed to the health risks posed by Foot and Mouth disease. Perhaps farmers should ensure better protection of theri cattle and livestock in order to prevent another terrible outbreak

Peter, Sheffield, South yorkshire

i hope that the government has learned its lessons from the 2001 fiasco.
now is the time for proper actions and support for thebritish farming community.
stop the incompetence and spin and show that the government actually wants and supports a vibrent and sucessful british farming industry.

P J Chapman, Horley, Surrey

One must give the Government credit for the handling of this potential davastating crisis. To suggest the current action is an attempt to close down farms are both illogical and without foundation. If that were the intention - all that need doing was the delayed in the suspension to the movement of all cattles, pigs, and sheeps etc. The current restriction can only be seen as positive step to avert the repeat of 2001.
While not a labour supporter, I think GB has handled this very well and shows good leadership.

Dominik-Sebastian Choy, london, england

To Francis, Surely you're not suggesting that the government do nothing about a severe outbreak of foot and mouth and not protecting its citizens, are you?
Its not very 'english' to let your people die as your mail would suggest!
Perhaps some amount of discretion on the part of people not to over react to the situation is called for. However, it is the duty of the governemnt to protect its people and their lives even if it means restricitons (or culling) of cattle.
There is nothing 'english' about thrying to save infected cattle

Peter, Sheffield, South yorkshire

This is a deliberate excuse by the government to close down our farms to make way for the extra 3million houses. Labour hate England, Englisness and our way of life. English Parliament now otherwise independence.

francis, Sunderland, England