THREE years after the devastating foot-and-mouth outbreak it has emerged that Prince Charles orchestrated a campaign against the Government's policy of slaughtering millions of farm animals.

In an interview this week, the outgoing National Farmers Union president, Sir Ben Gill, said: "Prince Charles was behind the biggest push for vaccination," adding: "He had others working on his behalf, but I don't want to reopen it."

The foot-and-mouth saga began on February 19, 2001, when a vet spotted the signs of the disease in some pigs at Cheale's abattoir at Little Warley in Essex.

It was the first confirmed case in Britain for 20 years and it quickly spread, cropping up near Penrith on February 27.

The outbreak cost Britain £9bn and resulted in more than six million animals being culled across the country. It virtually shut down the British countryside.

The last reported case was on September 30, 2001, at Whygill Head Farm at Appleby.

Although Prince Charles's role in campaigning against culling had been hinted at before, until Sir Ben's admission this week no one had spoken openly about it. In the past, Sir Ben had said the campaign for vaccination was organised "at the highest level", but never named the prince as a ringleader.

The Prince is in Cumbria next week as part of his campaign to encourage the revival of rural communities. He will be visiting a pub owned by a co-operative at Hesket Newmarket and opening Melmerby's new village hall next Wednesday (February 25).