Outbreak brings memories of 1967

2 March 2001



Outbreak brings memories of 1967

By Robert Davies

A WEDNESDAY in late October saw the start of the 1967 foot-and-mouth epidemic, when three pigs went lame at Bryn Farm, Nantmawr, Oswestry; it lasted eight months.

Before a vet saw Norman Elliss sick porkers, two of his cows were sent to the weekly market in the centre of the Shropshire town.

When foot-and-mouth was suspected, the authorities rushed to detain the 2000 animals entered at the sale, but some were already en route to farms and abattoirs.

A massive tracing operation began immediately to isolate all the contact animals and receiving farms, and to sterilise the trucks used to transport them.

The next day 26 pigs at Bryn Farm showed symptoms and tests confirmed the presence of foot-and-mouth disease.

The 71 cattle, 67 pigs and 47 sheep on the unit were slaughtered and buried. Two days later the first cases appeared on other farms.

Within days there were six more local outbreaks, and one in Cheshire on a farm 100 miles away from Oswestry.

Such was the rate of spread of the virus that 23 cases in the first seven days grew to 104 in the second week, and 222 in the third.

At its peak, 81 were confirmed in one day and 490 in a week.

Livestock markets closed, hunting and horse racing were suspended and farming unions cancelled all meetings.

Ministry and private laboratory workers were co-opted to oversee the cleaning of lorries taking essential supplies to farms and collecting milk.

Road construction was suspended to allow machinery to be used to dispose of slaughtered stock and black smoke hung over burning carcasses.

Some panic-stricken farmers patrolled farm boundaries with shotguns to shoot wild animals, birds and even domestic pets that could have carried the virus.

Big flocks of starlings were blamed for disease spread.

There were 2364 confirmed outbreaks. Because 18 units were hit again after disinfection and restocking, a total of 2346 farms were involved.

Control teams, including foreign vets, slaughtered 434,000 animals, including 113,800 pigs, 108,340 sheep and 51 goats.

Valuing, killing and disposing of these cost 4.2 million.

Farmers were paid 26.6m in compensation for compulsorily slaughtered stock, and the Treasury estimated total direct costs of the epidemic at 35m.

Many of the farmers hit 34 years ago have retired, but one who farms in Powys and saw all his stock shot in November 1967 says he will never forget the experience.

Halket Savage and his wife Christine ran 25 milkers and produced weaner pigs from 50 pedigree Welsh sows.

Theirs was one of three units at Four Crosses, Oswestry, on which cattle started to show symptoms on the same day.

“A cow was off colour and when I looked in her mouth there were tiny blisters, so I knew the worst,” recalls Mr Savage.

“Ministry vet Gil Stewart, who has remained a family friend ever since, confirmed the diagnosis, and slaughter started the next day.”

They have great sympathy for families affected by the current outbreak.

The Savages son Nick, who manufactures farm equipment, is so concerned about the risk of spreading the disease that he has suspended deliveries to farms.