THE European Union inquiry into last year's foot-and-mouth is to be bolstered by the findings from Cumbria County Council's own inquiry.

Representatives from the EU have agreed to accept the report of Cumbria's inquiry chairman Professor Phil Thomas expected in July.

The EU has said the Cumbria report will be taken as part of the evidence before it makes its final recommendations.

Meanwhile, Professor Phil Tomas, the man who will lead Cumbria's own inquiry into the crisis, has announced the names of the nine people who will form his inquiry panel.

From more than 40 nominees, Professor Thomas selected: Howard Christie, owner of the Wasdale Inn at the foot of Scafell; Dr Jan Darrell, an environmental academic, member of the Lake District National Park Authority and policy officer with Friends of the Lake District; Nick Gent, former director of public health at Morecambe Bay Health Authority; Phil Hancock, partner in an agricultural supplies business; Andrew Humphries, former assistant director of Newton Rigg College and now a Farmlink business adviser; Professor Derek Ellwood, former director of the Westlakes Research Institute in West Cumbria; Canon Geoffrey Ravalde, vicar of Wigton, a former barrister and former Rural Dean of Carlisle; John Hetherington, a Wigton farmer and former vice principal at Newton Rigg; and Keswick leisure businessman David Etherden.

The Inquiry will sit to hear evidence in public in Kendal between May 7 and 10 and in Carlisle between May 28 and 31.

Visits to outlying areas will also be arranged.

Anyone wishing to give evidence to the inquiry should contact Cumbrian Foot-and-Mouth Inquiry team, Arroyo Block, The Castle, Carlisle, CA3 8UR or e-mail fmdinquiry@cumbriacc.gov.uk