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Villagers
threaten mass legal action
An entire Devon village is preparing to sue the Ministry of Agriculture
over its handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis.
The news comes as the Ministry faced further embarrassment when
animals destined for slaughter as part of the contiguous cull escaped
into open countryside.
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 Can
a whole village take a government department to court?
Tim Howells is a partner with Bevan Ashford Solicitors.
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The
protest underlines the anger felt by the people of Knowstone at
the Ministry of Agriculture's attempts to cull apparently healthy
animals. Now they are heading for the courts
The
villagers say they want to claim damages for losses, disruption
and distress as a result of the actions of Ministry officials.
There
have been three standoffs to try to keep out the slaughtermen, two
to no avail. The third at land belonging to 43-year old Steve Phillips
continues.
Bill Norman, chairman of Knowstone Parish Council said it was hard
to express how angry people felt:
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Residents
have maintained a vigil against Maff's actions
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"We've just had enough of the bullying and the awful things that
have happened in the parish - animals shot and not dispatched properly."
They are particularly angered by an incident three weeks ago in
which
several bullocks were chased by soldiers and officials in the area
after escaping a cull.
Some residents are convinced the latest outbreaks of foot-and-mouth
in the Knowstone area can be traced back to when the bullocks were
running loose.
Yesterday Maff suffered further humiliation when a
sheep which escaped from a farm at Knowstone before it could be
slaughtered was hunted down and shot. It is believed the animal
was loose in the area for more than 12 hours.
Ministry officials said the latest escape presented no threat to
other animals because the cull was just a precautionary measure.
Regional Director of the NFU, Anthony Gibson visited Knowstone last
night. He says he can understand the villagers anxst. He says that
it's now understood that when the soldiers followed the escaped
ewe into woods that they also discovered a bullock from the previous
bungled cull, three weeks ago.
Mr Gibson says he feels sure there will be a public enquiry after
the election about the way the foot-and-mouth crisis has been handled
by Maff. 
Low level air pollution detected...
A report commissioned by East Devon District Council has shown that
air quality was not significantly affected by foot-and-mouth pyres
in the area. Several pyres were lit in Membury early in May after
an outbreak of foot-and-mouth on a local farm.
East Devon District Council commissioned scientists to monitor sulphur
dioxide particles and dioxin levels while fires were burning. Monitoring
equipment was placed in front of Membury Post Office, which is around
one kilometre south of the where the pyres were burning at Challanger
Farm.
Sulphur dioxide levels were found to be below the air quality threshold
except for one fifteen minute period. During this time people suffering
from asthma or chronic lung disease may have been affected. Dioxin
levels connected with the pyre were higher than normally associated
with a rural area, but lower than levels recorded in London.
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Exmoor
residents concerned for future...
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Maff
wind down operation in Devon....
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