PENNY the wonder cow has beaten all the odds -- by reaching the age of 21 and surviving through the foot and mouth crisis.

Penny appears to have got life licked after living on the only farm in Sawley not be affected by the deadly virus.

Experts say the life expectancy of an average cow is eight years and do not know of many that have reached Penny's age.

The Friesian's proud owners, Alan, Joan and their son Richard Parker, reckon she is one of the oldest in the country. She has been raised at the Smithies Bridge Farm since her birth in 1970.

The Parkers' farm is the only one in Sawley not to be affected by foot and mouth.

Penny lives with 150 other cows that have so far been spared from the virus.

A spokesman for National Farmers' Union said today: "The life expectancy of a human is about 70 and the life expectancy of a cow is about 18 if they are not used for breeding purposes.

"Which means it's pretty good going for the old cow!"

The Parkers have been farming all their lives and have been waiting anxiously for the past six months for the news every farmer has been dreading.

But Alan said: "It has been tough on everybody in the farming industry but we are delighted that Penny is still with us.

"We have kept to strict bio-security guidelines throughout the crisis and are still doing in case the disease is still around. You can never be too careful."

Alan and Joan's 13-year-old son Richard spends a lot of time with Penny and the rest of the cows.

Alan said: "Richard takes great pride in all of the animals and, as he was brought up with them all, it is just as much a part of his livelihood as ours.

"Richard treats all the animals as his pets and spends a lot of time with with them. They are his friends in a way and are a big part of the family."

A spokesman for Town and Country Veterinary Group, Blackburn, said: "It is very unusual in this day and age for a cow to live until 21 because after its sixth lactation, which is the period that the cow produces milk, a cow is ususally sent to the slaughterhouse."

The Parkers do not feel that they are home and dry yet and feel there is a long way to go until foot and mouth has been eradicated.

Alan said: "We are still living in constant hope that foot and mouth will not strike again around here, because it could easily do. I think if we all stick to the bio-security measures that we have all been doing, then with any luck we might make it through.

Joan Parker is thrilled that Penny is still alive to follow her around the farm.

She said: "Penny is one of the most intelligent cows that I know. She can be a little so-and-so at times because she doesn't like change and, as you can imagine, there has been a lot of that during the crisis.

"Penny is tiny compared to the other lot but she is boss and likes to be the leader. She follows you around and she knows when you are talking to her.

"I have only ever heard of one other cow to be older than Penny and that was only by a couple of months."

It has been six months now since the first outbreak of foot and mouth at a farm in Brentwood, Essex. The last case in the Clitheroe cluster was on July 29 At the Bellman Farm, near Clitheroe.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs said: "This is a lovely tale and the family are right to keep their guard up to help prevent the disease from returning to the area.

"At the moment the foot and mouth hot spots are in Thirsk, Cumbria and the Brecon Beacons, although the number of cases per day has fallen dramatically compared to a few months ago."

Joan Parker, added: "The problem is that the disease has not yet disappeared and is rife in many places that aren't a million miles away from us -- so we still have to be on our guard at all times because it could just take something like a wagon coming near to our farm to bring the disease back to the area."