GRAVE fears that the foot and mouth outbreak could enter Cornwall have led to farmers, authorities and public uniting in a bid to prevent the nightmare happening.

But there was a shock blow to the fight yesterday from the Government's National Highways Agency in London. They have refused permission to allow Cornwall Highways to put disinfectant road baths on the main trunk routes leading into the county. This means that the thousands of vehicles using the A38 route over the Tamar Bridge daily, will be able to travel into Cornwall from other areas nationwide without disinfecting their tyres. Other trunk routes are the A39 at Bude by Kilkhampton and the A30 via Okehampton into Launceston.

However, Cornwall Highways have control over the other two main routes, via the ferry at Torpoint and at Gunnislake bridge where specially disinfected 'soap mats' have been put in place. More than 30 County Council managed roads along the boundary with Devon will have the same measures put into place over the next few days.

South East Cornwall MP Colin Breed, Liberal Democrat spokesman on agriculture, is co-ordinating a letter to be signed by all five Cornish MPs which is to be sent directly to Agriculture Minister Nick Brown.

'The Agency has been extremely unhelpful' said Mr Breed. 'We have got to do all we possibly can in the next crucial two or three days, or we could face a crisis lasting for months'.

Chairman of the Joint Tamar Bridge and Ferry Committee, County Councillor Mike Gillbard says he is both incredulous and saddened by the decision against any precautionary measures on the bridge.

'This irresponsible decision not to allow Cornwall to enforce an obvious precaution could jeopardise the livelihoods of significant numbers of people. Not only farmers but related industries and the knock on effect from there', he warned.