CLOCKWORK dummies, unable to make decisions until wound up by Brussels and told what to do -- this describes our Government and Ministry of Agriculture in their handling of the foot and mouth outbreak.

In fairness perhaps we should not attribute all the blame on our Government who had to wait for permission from Brussels for the burial and then vaccination of cattle. What a wonderful example this has been to show the British people that Brussels, not our own Government, is in charge of Britain.

If New Labour who are hell bent into further integration into a federal superstate are elected again we can expect more of this and the prospect alarms me considerably.

Farmers were told that vaccinated animals could not enter the food chain, hence their reluctance to vaccinate. Far from saving their animals and also containing the spread of the virus, they were condemning them to death at a later date. But why? And by whom (Brussels?) has this rule come into force, as foot and mouth poses no risk to humans? Other countries that vaccinate put their animals into the food chain, so why should our healthy animals from the so called fire-break zones not be put into the food chain?

Soon it will not only be the tigers at the zoo that are short of red meat but the British people as well. More importantly, we are also destroying the next generation of these animals.

Jennifer Roberts (Mrs),

Norbreck Road, Little Bispham.