RUMOURS are flying about the foot and mouth crisis, some plausible, some bizarre. Yet one of the most persistent is that figures are being "massaged" to disguise the true extent of the outbreak in Settle.

The theory is that, having declared the disease to be under control, it is highly embarrassing for the Government to be sidetracked during the General Election. The prompt culling of "contiguous" farms means confirmed cases are not reported as such.

These accusations have been firmly denied by the Ministry. And NFU spokesman Tim Palmer said the figures supplied to him seemed to tally up with the situation as he saw it on the ground. Our experience at the Craven Herald has been that the ministry has swiftly reported all cases and responded to queries about the numbers of animals killed. Officials have also helped set up pictures.

Yet one journalist who took pictures of the farm at Otterburn where animals were culled by mistake alleged that a ministry official demanded he hand over the film or his camera would be dropped in disinfectant.

We too have had farmers tell us they would love to speak to us but have been instructed not to by the ministry, although the official line is that no such instructions are given.

Conspiracy theories abound. Maybe there are some over-zealous and under-friendly officials in the field but in general we have no reason to doubt the official figures.