A TOTAL of 57 sheep have been culled at Gisburn after blood tests revealed they had been exposed to foot and mouth in the first set of killings in East Lancashire since July.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs said that three sheep had been found to be "sero-positive" -- which meant they were carrying anti-bodies to the disease.

She emphasised that at this stage it was believed they did not have foot and mouth, but the flock was being slaughtered last night as a precautionary measure.

Cattle in the area had registered negative and were not being killed. Tissue tests will now be carried out on the sheep.

The DEFRA spokesperson said the sheep could have been exposed to the disease a long time ago, or have had the disease and recovered. But she warned: "We want to take this opportunity to remind farmers about the necessity for strict bio-security and the need to be extremely careful when transporting animals."

More than 50 Lancashire farms have had the disease in recent months, with many around them having livestock culled as a precaution. When the disease hit the Ribble Valley in the summer, the area was declared a virtual no-go zone and hit businesses with little connection to farming. Tourist numbers fell, hotel bookings collapsed and many normally busy venues were deserted.

John Welbank, project manager of the Bowland Initiative, set up to help regenerate rural areas, said the epidemic had caused a major impact on all aspects of rural life.