A NATIONAL Farmers' Union chief has called on officials to come clean on where the new foot and mouth restrictions will hit.

East Lancashire farmers yesterday learned that following recent cases of foot and mouth in Northumberland, Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs officials had imposed restrictions on a 6,100 square mile area across the North of England.

However DEFRA will not announce the exact areas affected for the next couple of days, leaving thousands of farmers living under a shadow.

They are refusing to say why they are not releasing details. Restrictions are thought to have hit as far as the north of Blackburn.

Mr Tim Bennett, NFU deputy president, said farmers must be told what movements were allowed as they were set to organise next year's cycle of breeding.

He said further restrictions would have an enormous economic impact on farmers, many of whom had not drawn a penny of income for six months.

DEFRA says that in the area -- known as a red box -- all livestock restoration or movements will be stopped and existing animal licences revoked.

New ones will not be issued for the next 21 days while officials assess the extent of the outbreaks. The restrictions do not affect abattoirs.

This follows two cases of foot and mouth in Northumberland this week, taking the total number in the area to 19 in the past fortnight.

Mr Bennett said : "This is a critical period when most producers make the bulk of their income and when they prepare for the next breeding cycle of the farm.

"It is also a time when animals need to be moved from remote areas to prepare for winter.

"We must be told now what movements will be allowed and be given confidence that the administration of those movements will work on the ground.

"There are in access of five million sheep and 1.5 million cattle in what DEFRA describe as high risk counties.

"These counties are not museums. We cannot just stand back and leave these animals where they are.

"The government must be prepared to recognise the enormous economic impact that its restrictions will have on producers in these counties."