A distressed farmer caught up in the turmoil of the foot and mouth epidemic died of a heart attack hours before Government officials gave his animals the all-clear.

Albert Pickles, 62, had been ravaged by the belief that his herd of 150 cattle at Brecks Farm, Clayton, Bradford, would have to be culled since the first outbreak of the devastating virus in nearby Queensbury.

But the mounting tension finally took its toll on the farmer, who had already suffered two heart attacks, shortly before Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food officials called at his farm on Saturday after it came within a 3km exclusion zone when the second outbreak at Myrtle Grove Farm, Queensbury, was confirmed.

Mr Pickles's stepson Kevin Clarke, 31, said he had been frantic with worry ever since the first outbreak at Bobby Green Farm, Queensbury, on March 7.

He said the anxiety had rocketed after MAFF officials gave notice of an inspection and he believed his stepfather's heart had suffered too much stress, leading to his death.

"His last words as he lay on the floor were, 'I've lost it all'. He was a farmer through and through, he'd worked on farms for 50 years," said Mr Clarke, pictured.

"My dad was talking about the virus all the time, wondering what would happen if our cows had it."

Mr Clarke said his stepfather, who had run Breck Farm for 35 years, had been expecting a letter from MAFF if his herd was healthy, so when he learned the vets were coming to the farm he had feared the worst.

Mr Clarke, of Halifax, also said the officials could have been more tactful when speaking to the family: "They were all high and mighty. They weren't trying to break the news to him slowly, they just said you may have to burn all your livestock. They should have shown more consideration."

A MAFF spokesman said once the vet who arrived at the farm had realised Mr Pickles had died, she offered to return at a later date but was asked to finish her work.

"Saturday's outbreak in Clayton brought them into the 3km zone and they would have been given a letter telling them of that," said the spokesman.

"The vet said she arrived about two hours after Mr Pickles's death and offered to come back at a later stage but was asked to do the checking while she was there."

John Gullett, Bradford spokesman for the National Farmers' Union, said: "I can quite see how for someone of Mr Pickles's age, this was just one step too far.

"People were under pressure already, then along came BSE and now this. Farmers are really feeling the strain."

Any farmers in financial difficulty can contact the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution. For more information ring Mr Gullett on (01274) 677994.

l MAFF officials yesterday identified another foot and mouth case in Hawes, North Yorkshire, bringing the number in the area to four.