A VET has spoken for the first time about the difficulties faced in the profession during the foot and mouth crisis in East Lancashire.

Michael Reef said he has experienced the horror and heartbreak the disease brought and warns the future is still bleak for farmers in the region.

He said: " We have lost 30 clients through the outbreak.

"Out of those cases, three farms were confirmed with the disease, but the other's livestock had to be culled as they were located within the affected area."

Thirty seven farms in East Lancashire were hit by foot and mouth and tens of thousands of animals were culled.

Animal movement restrictions are still in place and farms throughout the region still stand empty. The region's tourism industry has also been badly hit.

From March onwards the animals were allowed to be moved under license.

Mr Reef, who has been a vet at the Stanley House practise in Colne for 18 months, said: "We have been very busy even up to now, with paperwork for the licenses. But the livestock we saw that actually had the disease, you would want to kill on welfare grounds."

The Government have now appointed a 'rural recovery chief', Lord Haskins, to oversee a programme for areas hit by foot and mouth.

Mr Reef added: "Talking to farmers in our area, I've gathered they don't want handouts and it's not feasible for them to hold down second jobs, as was suggested in the report."

"There is going to be a massive change in the future. I think we are going see farms that were handed down from father to son replaced by large companies mass producing for supermarkets.

"The small farms will still be there, but they will tend to focus on the top end of the market, with pedigree livestock."