Livestock on Exmoor were being slaughtered today for the first time since the foot-and-mouth crisis began, the UK’s Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (Maff) confirmed.
The precautionary cull is believed to be taking place on a farm near Dulverton, Somerset.
The farm is one of more than a dozen premises visited by a farmer at the centre of the outbreak around Wiveliscombe, Somerset, over the past few weeks.
There were four confirmed cases in the Wiveliscombe area last week, although there have been no new infections announced over the weekend.
Three of these cases have involved animals belonging to contractor Rob Norman whose movements over the past two weeks are being traced by ministry officials.
Today, a Maff spokeswoman said she could confirm a slaughter was taking place at a farm on Exmoor, but would give no other details of where it was.
She said the slaughter was taking place because the farm was considered a "dangerous contact" rather than an "infected premises".
PA