WORRIED farmers are living in the shadow of foot and mouth disease this week following the slaughter of 260 sheep at Congleton farms.

The animals were put to death at a farm in Mow Cop and a smallholding at Astbury on suspicion of carrying the disease.

Blood samples were taken from sheep at both farms, and the results of tests to determine if they had foot and mouth are expected today.

The suspected cases and slaughter have caused alarm in the local farming community, fearful of the return of a disease which devastated the area in 1967.

Agricultural student Anthony Norlander could only stand helplessly by on Monday as animals he has bred over the past five years were slaughtered.

The 18-year-old lives at The Willows, a smallholding in Watery Lane, Astbury, where 79 ewes, 78 lambs, some a few days old, and four rams, were put to death.

He was too upset to watch the cull, which involved giving the lambs lethal injections and shooting the ewes and rams.

Animals were also put to death at the weekend at Daisy Bank Farm, Congleton Road, Mow Cop, where 102 sheep and 25 cattle were slaughtered.

"I didn't watch the slaughter, which was very distressing because you could hear the ewes being shot," said Anthony, a student at Reaseheath College.

A Ministry of Agriculture vet was given authority to slaughter on suspicion from MAFF HQ after finding blistering sores on the feet of two ewes.

Anthony's mother Jane Tully described as 'heartbreaking' the news that the sheep and lambs w7.8ere to be killed.

"It was the fact they were slaughtered without positive proof they had foot and mouth, and it seemed a panic measure," she said.

Pedigree cattle farmer Jim Barber described the mood among Astbury farmers as one of fear and 'disgust' at the lack of information coming from MAFF.

"Astbury was wiped out by foot and mouth in 1967, and rumours have been flying round the village that The Willows was a confirmed case then an unconfirmed one," said Mr Barber, from Peel Farm, Peel Lane.

"They did the right thing at The Willows in slaughtering on suspicion, although it's very sad, as we all have to consider our neighbours.

"We are in this together, and have to stick together, although it would break my heart to see my animals being slaughtered."

Peter Offer, group secretary of South East Cheshire NFU, said MAFF had to make it clear foot and mouth could not be confirmed in a specific case until tests results were available.

"There are dozens of farms in Astbury and Mow Cop, and farmers are gutted that the suspected cases are so close to them," he said.

BY IAN ROSS