Inquiry hears of MAFFs cattle chaos

12 October 2001



Inquiry hears of MAFF’s cattle chaos

By Adrienne Francis

CATTLE suspected of having foot-and-mouth spent days roaming around a village, the Devon public inquiry into the disease has been told.

Representatives from Knowstone Parish Council, South Molton, told how the animals escaped after an attempted cull at the height of the crisis earlier this year.

The cattle became frightened when officials from the now disbanded Ministry of Agriculture entered the property to cull wearing white suits.

Five cattle were shot but 19 bolted. William Norman of Knowstone Parish Council, said: “Some took four or five shots to kill.”

He added: “It was chaos and a shambles.”

Mr Norman told the inquiry that six farms were infected in the village – some possibly by the cattle driven out by MAFF officials.

David Morgans, from the parish council, accused MAFF of bullying. He said: “At one stage there were five vanloads of riot police in Knowstone.”

Another witness, Ken Lancaster, from the Kennerleigh, said people had refused to come into the village during the crisis.

“We felt as if we were under siege. I am not a farmer but I felt very much the siege mentality.”

• Diseased cattle escape botched cull, FWi, 15 May 2001
• Devon foot-and-mouth inquiry – FWi coverage
• Devon foot-and-mouth inquiry (external site)