FOOT and mouth was a crippling disease which brought East Lancashire's rural community to its knees.

It wasn't only farms that were affected, hotels, cafes, all manner of businesses were affected.

The Ribble Valley was the worst hit in the region, with a specially equipped headquarters set up in Gisburn just to combat foot and mouth.

The sight of white-clad government officials and army soldier was commonplace.

Many farmers blamed the government for being too slow to react to the developing crisis.

Even now they are not sure the government is doing all it can.

Thomas Binns, the vice-president of the Lancashire National Farmers Union, is calling for three inquiries held by the government to be made public and has taken his fight to the High Court in London.

Mr Binns, who lost more than 3,000 sheep and lambs and 60 cattle when his Hecklin Farm, Clitheroe, was hit by the outbreak, said: "This was not about claiming compensation but about finding out what went wrong -- and why.

He said: "We need to bring the people who made the decisions about foot and mouth to the inquiry and make them accountable for those decisions.

"The government is holding its own inquiries but we want it to be made public.

"This raises constitutional issues."

Alan Barnes of Cowden Farm, Great Harwood, was the only farm in Hyndburn to be confirmed with the disease.

He said life is harder now and lives in fear of a repeat of the outbreak.

He added: "The markets are only just opening up again so it is still very hard for us.

"We have been hit by reams and reams and reams of bureaucracy dreamed up by minions who have no idea what life is really like out here.

"I still think this country is vulnerable to it happening again."

"We aren't strict enough about what comes in and out of the country."

Norman Nutter of Nutter's Farm in Newton-by-Bowland, added: "So many people went out of business.

"It was a case of sitting and waiting and hoping that you wouldn't be affected."

He added: "It was a terrible thing to happen.

"We need to be sure it won't happen again.

"Prices are picking up now but every time we bring in new animals, we can't sell existing ones for 21 days.

"But farming has changed for good.

"It has forced us all to look at what we will do for the future."

David Lloyd is the headteacher of Grindleton Primary School. He said the whole foot and mouth experience was a nightmare.

He added: "It was very difficult because we were being told different things by different organisations.

"I still think the area is suffering.

"Many farmers don't know if they will go back to the business."

Vote NOW...click here.