Bradford farmers were today given a glimmer of hope that the tide has turned in the fight against foot and mouth.

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food officials are working towards giving the all-clear to farmers living in the district's quarantined zone to move, slaughter and sell their livestock.

The move - which could come within the next couple of weeks - has been hailed as the best news that Bradford's embattled farmers have heard in months.

John Gullett, of the West Riding council delegate for the National Farmers Union, said that MAFF vets are now inspecting farms in the 3km quarantine zone around Bobby Green and Myrtle Grove Farms in Queensbury.

If given the all-clear by MAFF officials, farmers will be allowed to apply for government licences to move their animals.

Bobby Green and Myrtle Grove Farms were two of three farms in the area struck by the foot and mouth virus - with the farmers facing the heartbreak of having to slaughter all their cattle.

Mr Gullett, whose own Mill House Farm falls within the quarantine zone, said he was delighted by the news.

He said: "It's the best news that farmers around here have had for weeks.

"It's very good news because it means we will be able to start moving our animals again.

"It's definitely a step in the right direction- but it's only the first step.

"What they're going to do is carry out inspections at farms within the 3km quarantine area and if they find it's all clear then they will consider lifting the D-Notice. They haven't put a date on it yet, but they are considering it.

"It's been very difficult to move anything on or off our farms in recent weeks and people have been running out of supplies."

The move comes as a row broke out between the government and NFU officials over alleged illegal moving of animals by farmers in some parts of the country.

NFU leader David Hill today said he 'wouldn't blame' farmers who moved livestock in a desperate bid to stop them suffering in confinement, in spite of the restrictions.

But Mr Gullet attacked "selfish" farmers who the Government has accused of illegally moving animals in infected areas and spreading the disease.

He said: "It's certainly happened in some parts of the country and I have an extremely dim view of it. It's just putting farmers back to where we started at the beginning of the outbreak.

"It's a very selfish and foolish thing to do. The people who are doing may think they are helping themselves but in the long run they're just making it worse for everyone."

But Mr Gullett said he was certain that no farmers in the Bradford district had flouted quarantine of movement bans.

He said: "I have no personal knowledge that anything like this has happened in the Bradford area."

A spokesman for MAFF said it would be in the next couple of weeks, at the earliest, before restrictions could be lifted around Bobby Green Farm.

She said: "Vets are out blood testing all the sheep in the area and those results will be sent back to the laboratory in Purbright, Surrey, to see if they are harbouring foot and mouth.

"At the moment we are testing around Bobby Green and after a certain period of time we will be moving on to a 3km zone around Myrtle Grove.

"It is not likely we will be in a position to take actions to lift restrictions before the end of April around Bobby Green. Myrtle Grove will be several weeks after that."

She asked farmers to bear with them while the testing was carried out and added: "We are not doing this to be difficult."

Richard Sutcliffe, co-owner of Bobby Green Farm, welcomed the news for fellow farmers but said it would have little effect on him.

He said: "Obviously this is good news for other farmers, they will be able to buy and sell livestock.

"But it won't really be any good for me because I can't have any animals for another five months.

"MAFF imposed a six-month ban on livestock on the farm once they had slaughtered all the animals."

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