Call police if offered virus, says FUW (From Western Telegraph)

Call police if offered virus, says FUW

THE Farmers Union of Wales is urging farmers who may be offered the foot and mouth virus to contact the police immediately.

The unions call follows reports in the press of a Pembrokeshire farmer who claims she was offered a diseased lamb carcass for £2,000 by a mystery caller.

When farmer Nuala Preston, of Velindre, Crymych, dialled 1471 to discover the number of the caller she discovered the identity had been blocked.

The incident occurred over a month ago, but only became known when she spoke to the press last week.

The FUWs director of agricultural policy, Arwyn Owen, said: Rumours that criminals are offering diseased carcasses for sums of £2,000 so that unscrupulous farmers can claim compensation have been circulating for some time. But nobody has brought forward any real evidence until Mrs Preston made her statement to the press.

The FUW has been in contact with the police on a number of occasions to discuss these stories, but the problem has always been a lack of evidence, he said.

Without evidence, the police cannot act.

The FUW must take all these rumours seriously. As a result we appeal to any farmer who may have been approached by these criminals to immediately contact the police.

Even if someone does attempt to cover their tracks by blocking their telephone number, we have been assured that the police and BT will be able to trace the call as long as the police are contacted immediately, said Mr Owen.

The FUW condemns outright any person who would seek to either sell or purchase the virus. If anyone was ever found to be engaged in such a trade, the FUW would press for their arrest and for the maximum penalty to be imposed by the courts.