Foot-and-mouth disease has broken out at Marsh Farm, the popular children's attraction in South Woodham.

It means Essex now has seven confirmed cases in the county and another farm, north east of Ashingdon, was yesterday (Thursday) still under investigation.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food today confirmed the disease had spread to Marsh Farm - an Essex County Council country park which was closed as a precaution more than two weeks ago.

Children from all over the county visit the farm on school trips and at weekends. It is not yet known whether the 450 sheep, 400 pigs, 25 cattle plus chickens and ducks, will have to be slaughtered.

A spokesman for Maff said: "It is confirmed on the site and we will now be sending a vet down there. We will be looking at what has to happen next."

An Essex County Council spokesman said yesterday (Thursday): "It was discovered this morning. We are waiting for Maff vets to arrive and we will see what the outcome of that is but I guess we all know what it will be."

Meanwhile, officials are still waiting for the results of tests taken from an animal suspected of having the disease at another unamed farm within three kilometres of Blue House Farm at Ashingdon where infected livestock have already been destroyed.

Essex County Council Trading Standards has put a list together of which abattoirs are now permitted to operate.

The abattoirs allowed to slaughter animals under heavy supervision, are in Upminster, Little Clacton, Chelmsford, Burnham-on-Crouch and there are two in Braintree.

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