Foot-and-mouth outbreak 'when, not if' - port boss

A councillor responsible for health at the Port of Dover has warned the return of foot-and-mouth disease to the UK is inevitable, unless government funding improves.

Jamie Pout, of Dover District Council, said the health authority was "barely scratching the surface" when it came to suitable checks at the Kent port.

He added it was "a matter of time" until foot-and-mouth disease or African swine fever arrived in the country.

The port has been approached for comment, while the government said it would do "whatever it takes" to protect British farmers from disease.

The government added that it had significantly increased seizures of illegal meat products, restricted animal products from EU countries with outbreaks, and banned personal meat and dairy imports for EU travellers.

It said it was also investing more than £200m in a new National Biosecurity Centre.

It comes after recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia.

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly infectious virus that causes blisters inside an animal's mouth and under their hooves, which can cause lameness and problems feeding.

It poses no risk to humans and there are currently no cases in the UK.

Any products of animal origin, like meat and dairy, could potentially be contaminated.

Labour MP Josh Newbury, who sits on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA), said last week that he saw health inspections at the port being done under "rusty canopies, with nesting pigeons [in buildings] that had no walls".

Facilities had "no ability to wash down" and lacked personal protection equipment other than gloves, he added.

Roy Glover, a third-generation livestock farmer and butcher from Hartley Bottom Farm, near Dartford, called the UK's last foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001 "devastating" for local farmers.

He said it put "stress" on his family farm and business.

"It was terrible. I remember being unable to sleep worrying that our farm could be next," he said.

"You'd see other farms go down, and you'd spend your time thinking that it could be you next."

Mr Glover urged the government to take foot-and-mouth disease seriously.

"More needs to be done. If foot-and-mouth disease comes through again, it could financially ruin our farm and butchers."

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