THE summer shows are safe – despite a worrying new foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the UK. ‘There is no reason to panic and no need for us to panic and ban shows at the present time,’ said agriculture and environment adviser Andrew Casebow.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said at the weekend that other possible cases were being investigated after infected cattle were culled after an outbreak at a Surrey farm.

The strain of disease in infected cattle has been identified and is identical to that used for vaccines at the Institute for Animal Health at Pirbright, three miles away.

Guernsey officials have been monitoring the UK situation and are being kept closely informed by Defra, which yesterday morning could not confirm the laboratory was the source.

But it did increase the size of the protection and surveillance zones covering farms in that area.

A UK-wide ban on the movement of all livestock is in place and farmers there have been asked to ‘go the extra mile’ on bio-security and vigilance.

‘We already have a constant ban on all cattle and livestock coming into the island so we don’t have that sort of risk,’ said Mr Casebow.

‘Sheep and pigs are allowed into the island but only on licence – there are very few animals coming to the island from the UK each year.

‘There is now a ban in place on the importation of pigs and cattle from the UK to the island – that will stop the majority of any movement here.’

‘There is always the possibility of windborne spread.’

He spoke to States vet Chris Bishop, who was out of the island on Saturday, and the advice was not to overreact.

‘There is no necessity to do anything with people and the movement of cars or horses at the present time and the States vet is keeping a watching brief on the situation in England. The big thing is to understand where it has come from.’

Guernsey’s annual shows do not currently appear in any danger.

‘The States vet’s advice is that the agricultural shows are not in doubt and there is no need to ban shows at this time.’

A 3km protection zone was initially installed around the affected Guildford premises to try to halt the spread of the disease that wreaked havoc across the UK in 2001. It led to between 6.5m. and 10m. animals being destroyed and cost up to £8.5bn.

A contingency plan has been in place ever since.

‘Hopefully a lot of the measures they have put in place will slow down any movement around the country. Hopefully there won’t be the mass spread like last time.’

‘The hope is they stand a good chance of containing it to quite a small area because they have much better livestock restrictions in place.’