The UK Leather Federation's comments yesterday that the effects of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak were far from over have proved prophetic. The government has confirmed a third occurrence of the disease today.

The organisation told leatherbiz.com that trade in leather, hides and skins with the rest of Europe had got "more or less back to normal" after two outbreaks in August, although restrictions in other markets persisted. It was hopeful these markets too would clear in the coming weeks and months.

Now these hopes will be dashed.

The latest case of the disease was discovered today, again at a farm in Surrey, triggering a renewed European Union block on UK meat, dairy and livestock exports. And the government again imposed a movement ban of cattle, sheep, pigs and other ruminants in England. Parallel arrangements are being made by the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.

It also ordered a pre-emptive slaughter of livestock.

Prime minister, Gordon Brown chaired an emergency meeting to discuss FMD in the afternoon. He said afterwards: "At the very moment that FMD was confirmed, the national ban was put in place. The culling has already started. The protection zone is already in place. The national ban on movement is already understood to be in all parts of Great Britain. Of course, we will continue the culling as and when it is necessary, so we can eradicate the disease.

"We are searching as a matter of immediacy for the possible causes of this and I will report as soon as possible to the public about what has happened."