Foot and mouth claim

An NFU-backed legal claim for damages following last year’s foot and mouth disease outbreak in south east England has been launched in the High Court. The claim is being brought by 14 livestock farmers against the Institute for Animal Health, Merial Animal Health Ltd and Defra Secretary of State Hilary Benn. They allege that the Institute and Merial were negligent in causing or permitting the virus to escape from the facility, and that the secretary of state was negligent in failing to properly license or regulate the facility’s operation.