IN the light of yet more foot and mouth cases being discovered, one is forced to ask: Has the Government totally mishandled the issue from start to finish?

So far, 5,152,978 animals have been killed at a cost of £2.2billion. On May 3 the Prime Minister announced that the disease was effectively beaten and that farmers had to reopen their footpaths for tourists.

Yet, alas, foot and mouth outbreaks have occurred where the disease started -- in Northumberland.

Compare our situation with Holland, which was invaded by the virus in March. There, only the infected livestock were killed and the rest of the cattle were vaccinated. The result -- Holland was declared virus-free on June 25 and is now exporting meat again.

The Government has totally mishandled the crisis which has decimated our farming and tourist industry. Now, a group of MPs is calling for a public inquiry.

Of course, they won't agree to that because it would reveal the absolute incompetence with which the crisis has been handled.

The Prime Minister himself must bear a heavy responsibility for the present circumstances. Tony Blair was more concerned with winning the General Election than in solving the foot and mouth crisis.

COUN D PEARSON, Rawstorne Street, Blackburn.