A SPECIAL needs centre that uses animals as therapy for people with learning difficulties is at the centre of a suspected case of foot and mouth disease.

Lord's House special needs centre, Wilpshire Road, Rishton, is being investigated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food after one its sheep, called Lucy, fell ill two weeks ago.

The centre, which is run as a registered charity, was closed to the public because it is within the three kilometre protection zone enforced around Slingers Abbatoir, Great Harwood, one of three confirmed foot and mouth outbreak sites in Lancashire.

Mary Walker, who runs the centre with her husband Graham, said: "We called the MAFF in as a precaution more than anything. It's over two weeks since the sheep became ill. The vet was treating it for Orf, which is a common disease amongst sheep. We wanted to be responsible so we decided to call in the MAFF and get it sorted out.

"The sheep is a lot better now and the rest of the animals are healthy and well. If it was foot and mouth they would have expected other animals to be falling ill by now. We've been waiting for the results of tests on the sheep for ten days." The couple and their 16-year-old daughter Caroline have been running the centre and its 22 horses and more than 100 animals on their own since the suspected case was reported. The centre's 14 staff have been laid off and the family are not allowed to leave the centre. They have to have food delivered by friends.

"We're confident the test results will come back negative and we will be able to have a skeleton staff back in here soon to help look after the animals. We're exhausted with all the running around," said Mary. MAFF divisional veterinary manager Rob Paul said the usual incubation period for the disease was 14 days but could be longer.

Protection zones set up around confirmed cases of the outbreak, including Ollerton Farm, Withnell, and Slingers Abbatoir will not be lifted until the outbreak is over.

"We will not be pulling out of affected areas for some weeks and that's assuming nothing new develops," he said.

Experts are investigating two other suspected cases and one "dangerous contact" case in East Lancashire, all in Withnell, near Chorley. Cattle have already been killed and destroyed and Knowles Farm in Withnell where the "dangerous contact" with nearby Ollerton Farm was identified last week.

But the other two sites are not being officially identified until the disease is confirmed. Protection zones have been set up around them and tight restrictions imposed on farms within them.

Two farms in Laneshawbridge now appear to be clear of the disease following extensive tests in the last few weeks. Mr Paul said at first sight there did not seem to be an connection between the new cases and confirmed outbreaks but that would form part of the investigation.

Meanwhile Lancashire County Council has re-emphasised the need for people to stay out of the countryside and off rural footpaths. Not all paths have been closed, but the authority said people should stay away anyway.

Enforcement officers also sent out reminders to farmers that only heat treated milk should leave farms as there is a risk that, although there is no risk to human health, raw milk moved off farms could spread the disease.