A PRESTON-born farmer and her Canadian husband have been served an ultimatum by the Canadian Government to get their 27 prize water buffalo out of the country within less than a fortnight.

The notice comes amid fears that the animals could have contracted Mad Cow disease, and be spreading BSE across Canada.

Anthea Archer, 55, and her husband Darrel, 52, who run a bed and breakfast business on their farm in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, bought the buffalo from a source in Denmark, via an agent in Birmingham.

They flew 17 thoroughbreds into Canada last January and hoped to supplement their income by making yogurt and cheese from buffalo milk. With their offspring, there now have 27 animals.

But, a month after the herd arrived, Mad Cow disease was discovered in one cow in Denmark, and the Canadian government took action.

Anthea, whose mother Florence, 89, lives in Ashton, Preston, now fears her family could loose their livelihood.

In May, they received a letter from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency -- the same agency which initially gave them permission to import the buffalo - saying: "The animals are, or could be affected or contaminated by, the disease, bovine spongiform encepalopathy, or BSE, therefore, I require you to remove them from Canada." Although tests reveal that the fatal disease can affect humans, there is no evidence to link the Archer's buffalo with the affected cattle.

"We have invested more than £100,000 in our water buffalo operation and losing the animals will bankrupt us," Anthea said: "I've had to explain to my mother that we might have to go back to Lancashire and look for farm work.

"This is catastrophic. Both Darrel and I have worked like slaves to get where we are today."

Anthea and Darrel, who have a 16-year-old son, Richard, and hold British passports, have offered to keep their buffalo under quarantine and allow them to be part of a scientific study.

But, according to the family lawyer, it is unlikely that the Canadian authorities will make a U-turn on the matter.