Quarantine zones around two farms at the centre of this month's foot-and-mouth crisis have been lifted, effectively confirming the end of the outbreak.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed it had removed the 3km zones, known as Protection Zones, around farms in Surrey at midday today.

In addition, the department confirmed it had lifted a UK-wide ban on livestock movement from midnight last night.

However, all animals moved around the country will have to remain on the premises they are moved to for at least 20 days unless the movement is within 8km (five miles), or direct to slaughter.

The ban on animal markets and shows will remain, Defra confirmed.

The European Union's ban on exports of British livestock, meat and dairy products imposed after the foot-and-mouth outbreak will be lifted from tomorrow. The export ban had covered cattle, sheep, goats and pigs and products made from them.

However, an EU ban will continue for the time being within a 10km surveillance zone set up around the Surrey farms.

The first outbreak of the disease, in a herd of cattle kept by farmer Roger Pride in fields at Normandy, near Guildford, was discovered just over two weeks ago. A neighbouring herd, owned by John Gunner, tested positive days later.

Both herds were slaughtered, together with the precautionary cull of animals kept nearby by John Emerson. Samples from Mr Emerson’s animals later tested negative for the disease.

Subsequent suspected outbreaks - two in livestock in Surrey and another in Kent - proved to be false alarms.

The mini-outbreak in Surrey sparked worries of a repeat of a major outbreak that occurred in 2001, when seven million animals were slaughtered and British meat was shut out of world markets for months.

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