TORY MP Peter Luff today accused the Government of creating "confusion" over foot-and-mouth control.

He said Ministers should not put pressure on county councils to re-open footpaths while farmers were still being asked to continue disease control measures.

The Mid-Worcestershire MP's attack came as the Government confirmed an inquiry into the national outbreak would take place.

Mr Luff acted after farmer John Sanders, from Ombersley, was sent a nine-page instruction letter on how to improve "bio security" on his farm.

At the same time, Mr Sanders has been told by Worcestershire County Council that footpaths will soon be re-opened in his area.

The MP said this would create a "great risk" of foot-and-mouth infection and made no sense when the farmer was himself being given fresh instructions on controlling the outbreak.

He has tabled a Parliamentary question calling for Ministers in the new Department for the Environment, Food and Regional Affairs (DEFRA) to end the confusion.

"The county council is acting on the advice of DEFRA and is under great pressure from the Countryside Agency to re-open farms," said Mr Luff.

"Meanwhile, DEFRA is tightening the screws on farmers and telling them not to let up on foot-and-mouth disease control.

"Either the farmers can relax or the footpaths should remain closed."

Mr Luff said he believed it would be "reckless" to re-open paths with the disease still rampant in Yorkshire and Devon.

"Our fields are linked to Devon by the M5. The risk of infection being carried back to our county after two months without an outbreak is very real," he added.

His comments come two days after Drakes Broughton farmer Neil Pykett raised the same concerns in the Evening News.

Lord Whitty, Minister for food and farming, said the form of a foot-and-mouth inquiry was "a decision for the Prime Minister". We need to learn lessons quickly.

"Any inquiry will not be intended to apportion blame but to identify what could have been done better and how we can react more effectively and minimise the effects of the disease if we find ourselves in a similar situation."

A further announcement on the inquiry will be made when the outbreak is nearing an end, he added.