THE foot and mouth outbreak continued its remorseless march in Craven with four more cases.
There are now more than 50 confirmed cases in the "Settle cluster" including cases just over the border in Ribble Valley at Bolton-by-Bowland and Paythorne.
The latest cases take the disease into Wharfedale, with an outbreak in Thorpe Lane, Cracoe, among sheep owned by the Mason family, of Appletreewick, whose remaining stock has been slaughtered as a "dangerous contact".
Meanwhile the Ministry of Agriculture has firmly denied a widespread rumour in the district that it is planning a mass cull of animals as soon as the election is completed.
The Ministry said it would continue its policy of slaughtering at farms where cases were confirmed, at "contiguous" farms and where there was a dangerous contact.
A further outbreak has been reported at Middleton, Ilkley, the first on the east bank of the river Wharfe.
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