A popular tourist attraction today fought back after Britain's leading E.coli expert condemned farms as a hotbed of infection.

Bosses at Marsh Farm in South Woodham said the farm had never suffered a Health scare and was a modern hygienic facility.

Professor Hugh Pennington told BBC's Countryfile that children under five should be kept away from community farms because of the high risk of contracting the deadly bug.

He said: "I would go to the extreme of saying that perhaps it is unwise to take a five or under five-year-old on a farm visit because we have had such serious complications in the very small number of kids who've been infected.

"They've had such a hard time of it, it's hardly worth exposing them to the risk.''

Ian Faulkner, spokesman for Marsh Farm, in Marsh Farm Road, said parents had no need to worry about visiting the facility.

He said: "Marsh Farm is very modern and in the 15 years it has been open to the public there has been no incidence of anyone becoming ill. We are happy to allay fears if anyone wants to speak to us."

He added that the farm does issue guidelines to visitors to keep them safe. He said: "If children wash their hands after their visit the risks should be minimal.

"We have well signed toilet blocks and three or four washing stations around the farm trail. We take advice from the Health and Safety Executive and work to implement its guidelines. Marsh Farm is a very happy and safe place."

Prof Pennington's comments follow last month's out-of-court settlement involving six-year-old Tom Dowling who was left severely brain-damaged after contracting E.coli during a farm visit in St Albans two years ago.

But Prof Pennington's comments have been criticised by the National Association of Farms for Schools.

Spokesman John Newton-Jones said: "Three years ago, we had a full working party from across the industry looking at this and, providing proper precautions are put in place, we're quite happy that under fives can visit farms.

"The important thing is that when you are going to a farm park, you must follow basic hygiene procedures.''

Last year 14 million people visited farms in Britain - only a handful of visitors contracted E.coli.

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