IN BRIEF

26 November 1999

IN BRIEF

&#8226 BEWARE of poultry thieves hoping to cash in on the seasonal demand for turkeys, chickens, geese and ducks, warns the Country Landowners Association.

As part of an annual security appeal, the CLA is telling small-scale producers in particular to be on the alert. Birds should be kept in buildings with locked doors and sealed windows and as close to the farmhouse as possible, it advises.

&#8226 SCRAPIE compensation for sheep slaughtered in December will be £9.68 if the disease is confirmed at post-mortem and a maximum of £400 for suspects where scrapie is not confirmed.

&#8226 A NORTH Yorks butcher who sold beef imported from Africa under a Scotch Beef label has been fined £1,000 with £751 costs at his local magistrates court.

Mr Stephen Lyndon pleaded guilty at Skipton Magistrates Court, in a case brought by North Yorks Trading Standards Officers.

&#8226 BSE compensation for cattle slaughtered in December will be up to £418 if the disease is confirmed at post-mortem and a maximum of £522.50 for suspects where BSE is not confirmed.