There were fresh fears tonight of a renewed foot and mouth outbreak after blood tests appeared to show the disease had spread to sheep.

Initial blood tests on a flock from a farm within the Protection Zone in Surrey suggest a new case of foot-and-mouth disease, a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokeswoman said.

All animals on the farm are to be slaughtered and further tests were ongoing, she said.

Farmers are especially fearful of the disease spreading to sheep as it is difficult to detect in the animals and could spread unknowingly through flocks to create an epidemic.

The suspected exposure comes just as the latest outbreak appeared to have been contained.

Farmers outside the protection zone were permitted to start taking their animals for slaughter again yesterday after transport restrictions were relaxed by Defra.

Before tonight, no further instances of the disease had been reported since slaughtered cattle were found to be infected at two farms near Egham in Surrey last week.

Scientists are continuing to investigate exactly what strain of the virus was behind the latest outbreak, although experts have indicated that it is likely to be the same as

that found in animals culled last month at Normandy village, near Guildford.

A Health and Safety Executive probe found the disease may have escaped from a leaky pipe running between a Government-run Animal health laboratory and privately-run pharmaceuticals firm, Merial Animal Health, at Pirbright, three miles from the original outbreak at Normandy.

Farmer Derrick Pride, from Elstead, Surrey, whose herd was slaughtered in the August outbreak, said he sympathised with the farmer’s predicament.

“It’s utterly devastating,” he said. “I don’t know how you can take it really. I’m so disappointed that it has all broken out again.

“We thought after the first three or four outbreaks that that was going to be it.

“I pity the poor man - whoever it is - because we’ve been through it: your whole world seems to crash overnight. It’s a very emotional experience for all the family.”

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