AFTER the nightmare ravaging of East Lancashire farms in the foot and mouth disease epidemic two years ago, it should, surely, be expected that every effort is being made to prevent them suffering another cattle plague.

But, as is chillingly indicated by the warning by Ribble Valley farmer Thomas Binns, Lancashire chairman of the National Farmers' Union, farms may face an even more dreadful devastation from rising tuberculosis among herds - through delay and dropped defences against the deadly disease.

It was the strain on veterinary resources during the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001 that led to routine tests for bovine tuberculosis being suspended.

But, as a result, there is a backlog of testing herds suspected of being infected with TB and, already, reported cases of the disease have leapt by 60 per cent in January and February above the total for the whole of last year.

This is a frightening trend and the worry is worsened by the findings of independent research the government has commissioned into the best way of tackling the disease not being due for another four years.

Farms barely recovered from the foot and mouth catastrophe, which saw the slaughter of hundreds of animals in East Lancashire, cannot stand or afford another disease disaster. The government must act now to speed up TB testing and all efforts to destroy this new threat to agriculture.