A day-old calf was one of the latest victims in the foot and mouth epidemic which has swept into the Keighley area.

It was culled among a herd of 131 dairy cattle at Lower Heights Farm, Silsden.

Vets from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) slaughtered the animals - including 30 heifers in calf - because farmer, Martin Rowling, was designated a dangerous contact.

The outbreak had been confirmed on Friday at Andrew Baines' farm, Bridge House, in Dennis Lane, Silsden, a neighbour of Mr Rowling.

Mr Rowling had been a regular visitor to Bridge House Farm on his tractor to pick up baled silage.

"My tractor was always scrupulously disinfected and I never even got off. I would drive into the yard, which was also clean, and spike the bale and drive out again. But DEFRA see that as a dangerous contact," said Mr Rowling, 45.

The decision to cull his herd had been extremely distressing to his wife Kathy and especially to his eldest son, 11 year-old Anthony

Mrs Rowling, Anthony and her other children, James, seven, and Joanna, three, had moved to stay with relatives so they didn't have to see the killings.

"It was very upsetting, especially to have to cull the baby calf and 30 heifers which were in calf.

"My wife rears all the little calves and she couldn't handle the cull. It was just too much for her. Anthony was also very upset.

"You get very close to the animals in a dairy herd because you're milking them twice a day every day. You get to know every cow very well - this is just like a family bereavement," he said.

"We've been farming here for 35 years and this is the worst day of my life. I've lost everything overnight."

His farm had been disinfected by workers from DEFRA and now he has to consider how he can continue in farming.

Mr Baines, 47, a single man, lost all 147 of his dairy herd after the disease was confirmed in one of the cattle.

He must remain in quarantine on the farm for a week.

Six other contagious farms in the area, including Lower Heights, have lost hundreds of cattle and sheep.

The number of new cases in the Settle, Clitheroe, Skipton, area now stands at 89. The total in North Yorkshire is 92.