BUTCHERS and meat wholesalers across East Lancashire reported a mixed public reaction to the deepening foot and mouth crisis.

Some said stocks were running out rapidly and members of the public panic buying, while others said there was little or no problem.

Lee Kente, manager of Five Star Meats, Redlam, Blackburn, said: "Some people are trying to panic buy but we won't let them."

Gareth Jones, of Booth J Butchers, New Bank Road, said: "There is not really a great deal of panic buying, although some stocks are running out. Lamb and beef are starting to dry up."

Bryan Eccleston, manager of Morrisons supermarket, Blackburn, said: "Sales of pork have been affected, but there are no problems with anything else.."

John Haffner, who has run the family business Haffner's for the past 20 years at Keirby Walk and Burnley Market, said: "fri and probably out of lamb.

"We have enough beef stocks to last us next week and I have enough pork for manufacturing to keep making sausages."

The family business was started by John's great-grandfather George, 110 years ago and he said of all the food and farming crises, this was the one to most affect his business.

"The Government has got rid of small abattoirs because of EEC regulations and their facing vets' bills and it has meant this outbreak has spread throughout the country, instead of being isolated in one area," he said.

"Things seem to be getting worse not better."

Catering butcher Tim Penny, joint director of Penny's Butchers, Clayton-le-Moors, said: "We are rationing it because we are finding restaurants are doubling and trebling their orders. We have enough left for about two to three weeks, but we are not able to replace the stock we are selling.

"We usually hang the meat for about 14 to 21 days, so when the meat starts to filter through again it will be too fresh for us."

Brian Beech, whose family has run Beech's, in Gisburn Road, Barrowford, since the 1960s said: "About 40 per cent of my customers have been buying an extra weeks supply to put in the freezer as a standby.

"We managed to stock up before this happened but we are probably going to have a problem with lamb soon."

Staff at Whittakers' butchers, in Blackburn's market hall said they have been run off their feet with people panic buying.