A WORCESTERSHIRE farmer is at loggerheads with the Ministry of Agriculture over its handling of foot-and-mouth disease at his farm.

Henry Rodenhurst, of Evelench Farm, Tibberton, maintains the disease was present in his cattle for a month before it was spotted by vets.

Five vets visited the farm between Friday, March 9, and Friday, April 5, but the farmer claims it was only on the last visit that a vet recognised symptoms.

"We've seen five vets," said Mr Rodenhurst, who has farmed in Tibberton for 20 years.

But he fears foot-and-mouth was only spotted because the vet who diagnosed it had seen a case just weeks before.

Mr Rodenhurst says he has notes taken by vets that show that symptoms of the disease were clearly visible weeks before it was officially diagnosed.

On one visit, 12 cows from 450 were chosen at random.

But Mr Rodenhurst claims only one cow showed no visible signs of the disease - the other 11 all had lesions on their feet and ulcers in their mouths.

All 12 had raised temperatures - another symptom of foot-and-mouth.

Cattle kept at Mr Rodenhurst's farm in Crowle had also showed signs, and he believes the delay in diagnosis is one reason why the disease has spread.

One vet took blood samples and an ulcer from the mouth of a cow to be tested, but Mr Rodenhurst says the samples are still at the farm and are now useless to scientists.

"It's been a complete disaster. I kept telling them our cows had foot-and-mouth but they wouldn't listen," said Mr Rodenhurst.

But MAFF today strongly refuted his claims and said experienced vets had found no symptoms of foot-and-mouth on four separate visits.

They claim the lesions and ulcers could have been caused by other factors.

"There are a variety of causes including other viruses, the hygiene conditions in which the animals were kept and the standard of stockmanship," the spokeswoman said.

"One vet who visited on April 8 decided there was clinical evidence of foot-and-mouth and the case was taken as infected premises, but clinical signs on previous visits were not characteristic of foot-and-mouth."

She added Mr Rodenhurst should have handed the blood samples and tongue ulcer to the ministry at the time of slaughter.

"It could have been they were left for the farmer to investigate the causes of the disease with his own vet," the spokeswoman said.