AM writing to the readers of your paper regarding the tragic plight of the countryside, which, at present, is being ravaged by foot and mouth.

People in many areas have been led to believe that foot and mouth is at worst under control and best over, all but the odd one or two cases. Sadly, this is not the case ... we are in fact slaughtering more animals now than at any time during the outbreak. Instead the Government has done a great job in concealing the truth and massaging the figures. A recent case in Cumbria saw one farm, directly affected by foot and mouth and 25 surrounding farms 'taken out' too. These however, don't count as outbreaks now but as part of a contiguous cull.

This disease has torn the very soul out of the countryside. It has destroyed so much that we hold so dear.

We have been forced to witness such terrible scenes of tragic brutality and blatant cruelty. Burning pyres, mass burial pits, mass slaughter, blood running across roads from the amount of blood pouring from slaughtered sheep, lorries with dead cattle falling from the back, slaughtermen taking pot shots at our animals. Lambs being born into and dying in, a quagmire of mud - yet no one could help them. Now we hear of stories of lambs and piglets being finished off with hammers.

This is our country. This is the best we could do. This is 21st century Britain. I am appalled to be part of this. I am appalled to be part of a country where apathy allows us to turn a blind eye and ignore the suffering of both people and animals.

It did not need to be like this - it could have been different. We need to ensure that people know what is going on. We need to bring this disease to a speedy conclusion. We need to end the barbaric slaughter and cruelty.

If any of your readers have been affected, either by what they have been forced to witness, or being directly involved with having their animals slaughtered, or are suffering due to the financial backlash of this disease, then please, I urge them to contact us.

We want to establish a network of people opposed to the way the Government is handling FMD and work in the same direction to help bring it to a speedy conclusion.

We can be contacted at 2 Mellish Way, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 2GU.

SUE BURTON

Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary

Updated: 11:55 Thursday, July 12, 2001