PREMIUM --

A dead cow is added to pile of carcasses due to be burned at Netherplace Farm in Lockerbie, Scotland. Four cases of foot and mouth disease have been confirmed in Scotland and the slaughter of livestock to stop the spread of the disease continues. * 17/12/02 The Government's handling of the crisis traumatised farmers and broke animal welfare laws, according to a report to be adopted by Euro-MPs. A European Parliament committee of inquiry blames officialdom for adding to farmers' woes with red tape and bureaucratic delays in disposing of slaughtered animals and warned that a mass cull on the scale conducted by the Government during the 2001 crisis would not be publicly acceptable again.