A FARMER claims census takers are risking spreading the dreaded foot and mouth scourge in Ryedale by delivering forms in person.

John Clark, who has beef cattle at Cropton Mill Farm, near Pickering, says he was left outraged after he was visited by a census taker yesterday.

"We have been isolated for months now in a bid to contain the spread of the disease," he added.

"I couldn't believe it when a woman from the census office came to my door to deliver a form.

"Walkers have stayed away - we've only had one instance of a walker coming near us - and so have other people."

The national census is due to take place on April 29 and takers are currently delivering forms to every residence across the UK.

Mr Clark said: "I thought the census forms were going to be posted out to us, but obviously someone has been told otherwise.

"The lady who came to my farm seemed unaware she was doing any wrong - she'd probably been to other farms in the area and was planning to visit others.

"I asked her what she was doing and she just replied she was delivering forms for the Government - it's ridiculous."

But Alan Davies, census area manager for Yorkshire North, said census-takers had been advised not to go on to farms.

"Usually the farmer will leave a bucket at the entrance to his farm and the census form will be dropped in there to be collected later, avoiding any contact with the farmer," he said.

"We have had one or two instances where census-takers have been given permission to go on to land by one member of a family and then told off by another for going on to the land. Any complaints of this nature will be taken seriously and our advice to census-takers is to stay off farms."

Updated: 10:41 Saturday, April 14, 2001