More farms on disease alert

Tests are being carried out on three more Scottish farms

Three more Scottish farms have been placed under foot-and-mouth restrictions after a possible dangerous contacts with farmers and vehicles from infected areas.

One farm is near Melrose in the Scottish Borders and two are close to Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire.

A Scottish Executive spokesman said the restrictions follow vehicle contact and the farms are at low risk.

Seven other farms in the Borders remain under strict controls after contact with a farmer from an infected area in Northumberland.

Scotland has been disease-free for three months

The executive repeated advice that farmers should not allow anyone from an infected area to visit their property.

Restrictions on two other farms were removed last week after tests had been carried out.

The farms were placed under close observation over fears of contact with English farms where the disease has re-emerged.

D-restrictions were brought in as a precaution to halt animal movements on and off the farms while tests were carried out.

But vets described the risk of infection as minimal.

The concerns over the Scottish premises centred on a farmer from the infected area who had visited the Borders.

Ross Finnie: "No news is good news"

He took part in an exhaustive debriefing with veterinary officials in an attempt to recount his movements.

The new scare comes as Scotland reached the landmark of three months without a case of the disease last Thursday.

Farming leaders have been pressing for disease-free status and the lifting of export bans after reaching the 90-day point.

Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie has said that Scotland could achieve disease-free status soon - but could not give a timescale for such a move.