Crisis in the UK

Cases on Friday: 29 Total confirmed cases: 1,289 541,000 animals awaiting slaughter 400,000 carcasses awaiting disposal

Mr Brown has also ordered an investigation into the shooting of sheep in a field in Monmouthshire, after a man in white overalls was caught on camera taking pot shots at panicking sheep.

And the sunny start to the Easter bank holiday has shown some signs of hope for the badly hit UK tourist industry, despite record numbers travelling abroad for the weekend.

With 28 cases confirmed on Friday, Maff said the daily total was slowing.

'Disappointing'

Northern Ireland's only other confirmed case of the disease was on a farm at Meigh in South Armagh, nearly 50 miles away from the second case.

Mrs Rodgers said although initial test results from the herd in Ardboe, near Cookstown, had been negative, her officials were now viewing it as "a positive case".

The shooting of sheep in Wales will be investigated

She said she had ordered the slaughter of animals on two farms following the test results and described the news as "terribly disappointing".

Samples from these animals will be sent to Pirbright Laboratory for analysis.

Mrs Rodgers advised farmers to "regard this as the second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Northern Ireland and to increase their vigilance accordingly".

There are fears that a European Union ban on meat exports from Northern Ireland, which had been lifted, will be reimposed.

More than 2,000 animals in surrounding farms were slaughtered immediately after the original outbreak.

In a follow-up precautionary move, 9,500 sheep in south Armagh were culled after an outbreak of the disease a few miles across the border with the Irish Republic in County Louth.

Slaughter warning

Leading scientists advising the government have warned that a third of all British farms could fall victim to foot-and-mouth unless the policy of slaughtering healthy animals was intensified.

Their research said that even when infected animals were slaughtered within 24 hours of symptoms appearing, some 30% of farms would eventually be hit by the epidemic unless "firebreak" culls were stepped up.

Mr Brown said the vets and slaughtermen were reaching the recommended target of slaughtering animals within 24 hours of a reported case.

Healthy animals on farms near outbreaks of the disease are supposed to be slaughtered within 48 hours - but the minister admitted that was only happening in 70% of cases.

1.75 million people are going abroad for Easter

Mr Brown said he was considering vaccination in order to save the lives of some animals in badly hit areas.

"I'm looking very, very hard at whether that is a practical option for us to pursue."

There is strong opposition in some parts of the farming community because of future effects on the industry as areas with vaccinated animals would not be labelled "disease free".

Government officials in Chelmsford are investigating a suspected outbreak of swine fever near Colchester.

Results from tests on samples will be ready in about nine days. If positive, all the pigs at the unit will have to be killed.

Meanwhile at Ash Moor in Devon, preparation work is under way on a giant pit capable of holding 430,000 sheep carcasses.

Busy airports

Elsewhere, ministers have been trying to boost the tourist industry during what is a crucial weekend for many attractions, touring the countryside with the message that rural Britain is "open for business".

But airports and travel agents say 1.75m Britons are heading abroad for the weekend.