The call came as an official UK report concluded the outbreak was probably caused by a leaky drain and other bio-security breaches, combined with local flooding at the government-run laboratory complex that is the worldwide centre for testing for FMD outbreaks.

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association President Malcolm Thompson said that the problem was exacerbated by Pirbright's location in a flood plain and its crucial facilities should be moved given that an outbreak of FMD had huge knock-on effects for all farmers and chances could not be taken.

"In the US, facilities which handle dangerous and sensitive materials such as viruses are located off-shore as a barrier to accidental leaks," he said.

The Irish Farmers Association said that the fact a simple drainage fault could cause an FMD outbreak showed the risks Europe was taking by importing 330,000 tonnes of beef a year from Brazil where the disease is endemic and controls were slack.

The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that it was likely that waste water at Pirbright containing the FMD virus entered drainage pipes, then leaked out and contaminated the surrounding soil, before being spread to a nearby farm on the wheels of construction vehicles.

Source: Independent.ie