A FARMING family who says it was blamed for the foot and mouth outbreak at Middleton has proved this week that the rumours were unfounded.

Ruth Brown, who owns two fields next to the infected Hill Top Farm, says a farmer's remark, reported in the Gazette, pointed an accusing finger at her family. The report said some farmers in the area believed the outbreak at Hill Top was caused by sheep from Thorpe, near Burnsall, which had been brought to Middleton to graze.

Tests have since proved that the 52 sheep and six cattle which were brought to graze at Middleton on May 6 - belonging to Mrs Brown's daughter's father-in-law, Anthony Schindler - did not have foot and mouth disease.

"There's no way this foot and mouth came from Thorpe," said Mrs Brown. "These sheep were moved (to Middleton) before it was in the Settle triangle."

"We have written confirmation that the animals did not have the virus," added Mr Schindler. "We have had a long traumatic wait for these blood tests to come back negative."

Mrs Brown, 75, said the accusation caused her great distress as she felt the farming community in Ilkley thought she was to blame for the outbreak. It's been a devastating time. I just could not believe that all these people might think it had possibly been our cattle," she said. "People who we have lived among all our lives.."

l The Gazette is happy to set the record straight and we apologise for any distress that the report caused to Mrs Brown and her family

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