THOUSANDS more livestock have been condemned for slaughter in a bid to control the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

Yesterday more than 3,000 animals were buried at the disused airfield at Throckmorton, near Pershore.

A further 17,500 were on a list of carcases to be collected from across Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire.

Animals killed under the welfare disposal scheme could also to be buried at Throckmorton.

The Ministry of Agriculture has added farms at Hindlip, near Worcester, Claines, near Worcester, two farms at Astley, near Stourport-on-Severn, two sites at Ripple, near Upton-upon-Severn, two farms near Tewkesbury, and a farm at Bromsgrove to the dangerous contact list.

A farm at Garway Hill and one at St Weonards, both in Herefordshire, were also added to the list of dangerous contacts.

A total of 2,700 animals will be slaughtered and transported to the burial site for either burial or burning within 48 hours.

Yew Tree Farm, at Garway Common, near Ross-on-Wye, was confirmed as being infected with foot-and-mouth disease. Around 100 cattle will be slaughtered today and destroyed on site.

More than 1,000 cases of the disease have been logged across Britain and there are more than 40 in the two counties.