RESTRICTIONS on farm movements around the Penrith Spur have been dramatically increased following concerns that the foot-and-mouth disease could begin to spread again, writes Farming Reporter Justin Hawkins.

The Government took steps to amalgamate the strictly controlled areas known as the Penrith Spur, the Hexham Blue Box in Northumberland and the Thirsk restricted zone in North Yorkshire.

The result is the new so-called Red Box, or North of England Movement Control Area.

The Red Box covers around 6,000 square miles and stretches from Bridlington on the east coast to Windermere in the west and as far south as Preston, Leeds and Bradford.

The area now includes Kirkby Lonsdale, Settle, Skipton, Durham and Newcastle.

Almost all animal movement licences within the area have been revoked.

Overcrowding on farms in and around South Lakeland was already becoming an acute problem with the existing restrictions and the new measures now imposed on areas outside the Penrith Spur will aggravate the situation.

Derek Lomax, group secretary of Kendal NFU, said: "The implications are absolutely horrendous.

There are going to be very, very serious environmental and animal welfare problems in eight weeks' time unless something is done quickly."

In addition to the prospect of livestock starving in the fields, farmers could also face serious disruption of next year's crucial lambing and calving season as the restrictions prevent them from moving bulls to impregnate heifers or putting ewes to the ram.

Ray Anderson, director of operations at DEFRA in Carlisle, told the Gazette that the amalgamation of the three restriction zones into the Red Box was a precautionary measure.

"Clearly we have got two areas, the Penrith Spur and the Hexham Blue box close together and getting closer.

With the Hexham cases spreading outward this is a precautionary measure to try to contain the spread of the disease by controlling the movements of animals."

See our Foot and Mouth section for more.