A WAVE of relief will sweep Britain's farming community this weekend following "a year of sheer hell", a North Yorkshire-based industry chief predicted today.

The comment on Sunday's three-month milestone since the last foot and mouth outbreak came from the National Farmers' Union (NFU), though its president, Ben Gill from Easingwold, said it would be a mistake to say Britain would automatically be free of the disease.

The last case, in Cumbria, was recorded on September 30, after the disease ravaged the country for seven months, with may of the later cases occurring in North Yorkshire.

The county remains classified as "at risk", with the 90-day threshold being considered only the earliest possible date after which the authorities could lift foot and mouth restrictions.

North Yorkshire still needs to be declared free, with the prospect of further blood testing in badly-hit areas, and clearance also needed from the EU and the OIE, the international animal health organisation.

But Mr Gill said: "To pass this three-month landmark will be a tremendous morale boost to farmers up and down the country. It has been a long battle with the disease but it looks very much like we have won.

"It brings a hope that we can start to move swiftly to regaining our disease-free status and break free of the costly straitjacket of disease restrictions.

"We have endured a year of sheer hell. We must hope and pray that the New Year will bring with it better times - next spring must see the birth of new life on our farms, not the horror we witnessed this year."

A meeting of the OIE will be held in the middle of next month (Jan), and the NFU hopes the Government will inform those taking part of the UK's success in beating the disease, to help ensure that disease-free status can be granted as soon as practically possible.

Updated: 08:30 Friday, December 28, 2001