Suspected case of Foot-and-Mouth in Wotton

There is a suspected case of foot-and-mouth in the Surrey Hills near Dorking. Described by government officials as a "clinical suspicion"; a temporary control zone of 1.8 miles has been put in place around the farm at Wotton, near Westcott.

The control zone has been set up after an initial assessment of the herd was inconclusive. The farm is leased by Laurence Matthews who has told the BBC that he is confident that his herd is not suffering from the disease. Tests are being carried out today in what the government are calling a "developing disease situation".

Two local bike shops in the area have reported that at present the main trails onto Leith and Holmbury Hill are open. Last weekend the National Trust's Longbarn Farm off the Pilgrims Way placed disinfected straw matting down near cattle grids onto its property.

If you are riding in the area, please respect any signage from DEFRA, farmers or land owners asking you not to use trails and bridleways, it is better that we nip this thing in the bud before we have to suffer a total ban on land access.

Redlands Trails will check the trails tonight and place a further update on this blog as soon as possible.
This BBC article has all the facts and a good map of the exclusion zone.