SPRING lambs are living it up in luxury after farmer Neil Mitton erected a 100ft maternity marquee.

The Mittons faced an accommodation problem in the wake of the foot and mouth crisis.

Seventy of their 100 cows calved just as the outbreak hit Settle last May, and because of restrictions on the movement of livestock, the herd swelled to 360.

Every shed, shippon and barn was taken but the Mittons were reluctant to erect another building for lambing their 460 mules as they had yet to decide if they would continue to rear sheep.

The solution came in the shape of a 100ft by 40ft marquee, more often home to champagne and canapes than straw and sheep.

Neil, who farms at Cold Cotes near Clapham, said: "The sheep love it. It's caused a bit of a stir in North Craven but many of the farmers think it's a brilliant idea!

"The problem was that the buildings were full of cows we couldn't sell following foot and mouth. I had done some work at a farm in Gisburn and they had used a marquee for lambing. It's not been too expensive, I think it's been quite reasonable, at £1,000 for two months."