BRITAIN:The stringent controls to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease which had been lifted last weekend were immediately reimposed by authorities in Northern Ireland and the Republic following a new outbreak of the disease in Britain yesterday.
The new case was discovered 48 miles from the scene of the last outbreak in Surrey in animals on farmland near Egham, also in Surrey.
The British government immediately banned the nationwide movement of cattle, sheep, pigs and other susceptible animals.
Protection and surveillance zones were set up around the outbreak and cattle were culled as a precaution after displaying symptoms of the highly infectious disease.
British prime minister Gordon Brown pledged that the authorities would do "everything in our power both to eradicate the disease and to track down the source of the latest outbreak".
The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan, announced the introduction of a ban on the importation of live animals and certain animal products, including fresh meat and raw milk and milk products, from Britain.
Following a meeting with her department's national disease control centre management committee, she noted the British ban on the movement of animals which would prevent them travelling to Ireland.
Earlier, Ms Coughlan briefed the Government and also spoke to the Northern Ireland Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Michelle Gildernew, and agreed that an all-island approach should be maintained on this occasion, as it was in response to last month's outbreak.
Ms Gildernew said yesterday that a number of measures were put in place to establish a "fortress Ireland" protection against foot and mouth.
She also briefed Northern Ireland's First Minister, the Rev Ian Paisley, and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, yesterday on the action she has taken so far following the report of the outbreak.
Ms Gildernew said one consignment of cattle coming into the North yesterday morning was sent back to Britain and that all consignments of live animals that have already entered from Britain have been traced and clinical inspections were being carried out by her veterinary officials. "None of the consignments had come from the Surrey area," she said.
The Department of Agriculture in Dublin confirmed that four consignments of live animals have been imported from Britain since the recommencement of live trade and these animals have been traced and are being inspected by department staff.
Farm organisations here expressed their support for the actions taken by the Minister for Agriculture.
Scientists in Britain are hoping the disease is the same strain as the Pirbright outbreak, which would lead to easier control.
A different strain of foot and mouth would indicate another source of infection.