V Festival almost stopped by foot and mouth

Cattle could not moved from site due to outbreak

V Festival could have been stopped due to foot and mouth.

The Staffordshire leg of the festival was nearly halted, due to cows and sheep on the site not being able to be moved because of foot and mouth restrictions.

Now the government’s chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds has given special permission to move the livestock, reports BBC News.

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The animals, from Woodland Farm in Weston, have now been moved about five miles (8km) to other farmland, away from the festival site.

The county council’s lead animal health officer Tony Shaw said: “Our main concern was for the safety of the animals concerned and ensuring disease control measures were not compromised.

“I am pleased that our hard work has resulted in us being able to move the animals safely away from the site, and I hope that everybody who goes to the festival has a wonderful time.”

The 150 sheep which were grazing near the festival’s main stage, and eight cattle in the event’s car park were examined by government vets to ensure they were not at risk from the disease.

Staffordshire County Council leaders said officers worked around the clock to persuade the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to make the special exception.

A DEFRA spokesperson said the decision to move the animals had been made on “welfare grounds”.

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The spokesperson added that the areas where the cows and sheep were and have been moved to will be thoroughly disinfected.

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