CATTLE at a Walmersley farm have been put under observation by Ministry of Agriculture officials.

The move comes after a tanker which collected milk from Cobb House Farm had apparently been used in a foot and mouth infected area in Clitheroe.

A Ministry vet has tested the dairy herd at Cobb House for foot and mouth and has given the all-clear. A similar follow-up inspection will take place later this month. Mrs Adele Tyrer, who runs the farm with her husband and son, said: "I understand that someone had sent a milk tanker which had been used in an infected area down to our farm which is in a clean area.

"We were informed about this by the Ministry on Friday (June 1). One of their vets tested our herd the same day and gave us the all-clear."

She added: "He will come back for another test in about three weeks. So, at the moment, our cattle are under observation."

This is seen as purely a precautionary measure. The milk tanker which sparked off the alert is regularly disinfected to minimise the risk of coming into contact with, and spreading, foot and mouth.

Mrs Tyrer said no additional restrictions had been put in place and milk was still being collected from the farm.

There have now been 19 confirmed foot and mouth cases in the Ribble Valley in less than two weeks, bringing the total to 35 in Lancashire.