US Edition A RAMBLER'S ham sandwichcould have caused the outbreak of swine fever that has cost the lives of 35,000 pigs, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday.
Landowners immediately called for stricter controls on ramblers. They urged the Government to insert a clause in the Labour set to renege on footpaths deal, which began its committee stage in the Lords yesterday. This would make it an offence for visitors to feed farm animals and wildlife while exercising their new rights of access to the countryside
. The Country Landowners Association said: "Feeding farm animals with the remains of a packed lunch is not just unnecessary but could be the death knell for the livestock industry."
Ministry scientists believe that the sandwich was made with a product containing illegally imported ham. The strain of the swine fever, which is harmless to humans, is common in the Far East, not Europe.
The ministry said that the outbreak, which has hit 14 farms in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex and cost the industry £20 million, had been traced to a single free-range pig that lived beside a footpath on a farm at Quidenham, Norfolk.
The sow, known by her number 847Y, was moved indoors last June after eight of her 12 piglets died. Within less than a month the sow and her remaining piglets had died after showing symptoms of the disease. By then, it is believed that they had infected other pigs in the herd.
The disease spread when piglets were sold to other farmers. Jeremy Havers, 30, who owns the Quidenham pig unit, said: "I suppose whoever was responsible thought they were doing no harm. They might even have thought it was funny to feed a ham sandwich to a pig."
The Ramblers' Association, which has about 130,000 members, said it would be willing to "contribute constructively to any form of Government consultation" on tougher legal restraints. It urged all walkers to avoid the temptation to feed livestock.