No livestock—only carcasses
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• The only trucks moving livestock in significant numbers in the UK this week were hauling carcasses to burial sites.
As CM went to press a huge logistical operation to bury up to 500,000 cattle and sheep was entering its second day at a disused airfield at Great Orton, just south of Carlisle. Preparations were taking place to start a similar scheme in Anglesey, North Wales and a mass burial site was receiving its first sheep in the Forest Of Dean.
Army engineers spent last weekend making the Orton site ready to receive the slaughtered stock as the government fought to get some measure of control over the spread of foot and mouth.
Snowie Holdings, the haulage company at the centre of the mass burial operation has been asking anyone who phones if they have spare drivers to help with the work, which is being overseen by army logisticians.
Carcasses are being carried in sealed trailers and there is extensive washing and disinfecting of anyone or anything leaving each of the sites. MAFF officials are still considering whether to introduce a similar scheme in the West Country which has also been badly hit by outbreaks of the disease.