British farmer blamed for epidemic to be prosecuted

LONDON - The pig farmer whose animals were allegedly the source of Britain's foot-and-mouth outbreak is to be prosecuted on a catalogue of charges over practices at his farm.

Almost 100 days after he found himself at the centre of one of the world's worst agricultural epidemics, Bobby Waugh was told he faces prosecution for not admitting the disease was on his farm.

Northumberland County Council said legal proceedings had been started to bring the charges as well as complaints of cruelty, poor hygiene and lax record-keeping in the months before the crisis.

Mr Waugh, who lost 1,000 animals from his farm at Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, said he was being made a "scapegoat" for the outbreak.

The development came as organisers of one of the countryside's showcases, the Great Yorkshire Show, announced the event, which was to be held in Harrogate, North Yorkshire on July 10-12, had been cancelled because of a new cluster of cases in Settle.

Mr Waugh, 55, and his brother, Ronnie, 59, will be prosecuted for failing to notify the disease between its outbreak and discovery by officials.

The virus was confirmed at the Waugh smallholding on 26 February ­ days after the farm was linked to the first confirmed case at an Essex abattoir.

Northumberland County Council insisted the prosecution was not about apportioning blame, but Bobby Waugh, speaking at his home in Sunderland, said: "They are determined to make me responsible".

If convicted of the offences, he and his brother face a potential prison sentence or fines of up to £2,000 ($6,944) per charge.

- INDEPENDENT