Britain finds suspected case of foot-and-mouth

Britain said today that it had found a suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease - just weeks after declaring itself free of the…

Britain said today that it had found a suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease - just weeks after declaring itself free of the devastating livestock disease after a major outbreak.

A statement from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said the case was found in Hawnby in Yorkshire, northern England.

"It is too early to say if this will be the first case of the disease since last September," Animal Welfare Minister Mr Elliot Morley said. The laboratory tests, which can take between four and 96 hours, will need to be completed first.