FOOT and mouth restrictions designed to stop the disease's spread have been ignored by more than 70 North Yorkshire farmers and workers, officials have said.

North Yorkshire trading standards officers are now considering prosecuting offenders.

More than 20 of the investigations follow alleged breaches of tight restrictions in the high security zone around Thirsk, designed to stop a disaster which would be caused if the disease gets into pig farming heartlands in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Among cases being investigated are:

Moving animals without a licence.

- Unauthorised altering of licences.

- Failing to dispose of carcasses properly.

- Not cleaning and disinfecting vehicles and clothing.

Graham Venn, the assistant head of North Yorkshire County Council's trading standards department, said: "We all know how difficult it has been for rural communities over the past six months, but we must do everything in our power to stop the spread of this disease.

"The vast majority of farmers have been doing all they can to stop the disease spreading, but there seems to be a small pocket of farmers whose actions can be described as criminally negligent.

"Where farmers have failed to keep to, or deliberately breached, precautions they are putting other people's livelihoods in danger."

North Yorkshire's trading standards have already prosecuted in four cases, which resulted in fines for breaching regulations.

Some experts believe a failure to maintain movement restrictions and bio-security measures on farms has allowed the outbreak to drag on.

And, they say, if the disease is not eradicated soon, it will be far more difficult to tackle in the colder, wetter weather of autumn and winter.

Predictions that the epidemic would be over by October may now have to be revised.

Updated: 09:30 Thursday, August 23, 2001