THE PRICE of meat has rocketed since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth but butchers are well stocked in Warrington.

Peter Stanton, of The Bacon Joint in Warrington Market, said panic buying of meat mainly took place last Friday and Saturday but has ceased since the government allowed farms with no outbreaks to take their animals straight to the abattoirs.

But the price of meat has soared by 30 pence a pound because of the recent drought.

He said: "It depends how long it goes on for because they are still finding new cases all the time. It's just a matter of getting what you can but we are not short of anything."