TWO MPs today called on Lancashire Police to set up a foot and mouth hotline after the disastrous animal disease hit their constituencies.

Lindsey Hoyle and Greg Pope said they want the service so that farmers who fear the disease has struck their herd can arrange immediate police assistance to seal off their holdings.

The request was made by Chorley MP Mr Hoyle in a Commons debate on foot and mouth after he learnt that a constituent in Withnell had become the first Lancashire farmer to be struck and he tried to ring the police to arrange for cover but had difficulty.

He said the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Farmers Union had hotlines and so should the police.

He said: "People in Lancashire are worried that they cannot get through to the right people in the police, so I hope that problem is addressed quickly. Other constabularies in Britain should ensure that they, too, have a hotline."

Hyndburn MP Mr Pope, in whose home town of Great Harwood the Slingers Abattoir has been affected, supported the call for a hotline, saying farmers and other worried people needed access to the police quickly if outbreaks were suspected or confirmed.

He also supported a call from Mr Hoyle for farmers to receive interim payments when hit by foot and mouth to help them survive.

And he backed Mr Hoyle in saying that others affected -- notably farmers in adjoining farms to those with the disease, should also be compensated.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown has promised to see what he can do on both fronts starting with early interim payments.

Mr Hoyle also wants Britain to ban imports from countries which have foot and mouth but are not dealing with it properly as the United States already does.

But a Lancashire police spokesman said: "The national advice to anyone who suspects they have an outbreak of foot and mouth disease or have queries, is that they must ring the helpline set up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 0845 0504141.

"Any calls to the police about foot and mouth are referred to this number.

"The role of the police is to assist the other agencies, the lead of which is MAFF. It is down to them to identify the disease and impose restrictions."