大象传媒

The Suffolk farmer whose cattle contracted the first case of bluetongue in Britain fears it is inevitable the virus will return to the county.

Walking across the crunchy frost on the ground, Richard Storer showed me his midge catcher hanging on one of the animal pens at Baylham Rare Breeds Farm.

The samples he collects for the government vets are a reminder that following the first recorded case in Britain in September 2007, bluetongue is a constant threat for livestock owners.

"I'm not sure the country as a whole was ready for it," Richard said.

"Even though it was rife on the continent, I think we probably had this age old habit of the English in thinking the Channel will protect us."

The discovery came as foot-and-mouth was found on a farm near Guildford in Surrey and it was because of that heightened alert the bluetongue virus was picked up.

"Our main reaction at that time was being incredibly thankful it wasn't foot and mouth, because the farmers down south were having whole herds slaughtered that they'd probably spent several generations of their family producing. A lot of farmers were giving up."

Future threat

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says there are 149 confirmed premises affected by bluetongue (BTV8) in England and Wales (as of 12 January 2009).

They're urging all livestock owners to continue with their voluntary vaccination programme.

Having found himself at the centre of the outbreak, Richard feels the emergency response was appropriate.

"I've got nothing but praise for the animal health people who are part of Defra," he said.

"They handled it with compassion and they did it extremely well. The police were good as well.

"My only criticism is the tabloid journalists. It was absolutely appalling the way they carried on.

"We used our car park for all the satellite TV vans. At the end of the week I went up there and gave interviews to anybody who wanted them, then they packed up and went away.

"It was all the photographers with telephoto lenses creeping round. They were coming inside the police cordon from the other side of the farm. I've no time for all that."

But it seems the virus (and perhaps unwanted media attention) will return to Suffolk at some point.

"One hopes it's an 'if' but one feels it's almost inevitable that it will.

"The way it's spread through Europe it's inevitable that virus-carrying midges will arrive here again. But hopefully this time we'll be ready for them."

Baylham Rare Breeds Farms opens to the public on 13 February 2009.