First live sheep arrive at huge burial site in Britain
The first live sheep have arrived at the former airfield which has been turned into a mass burial site for livestock slaughtered over foot-and-mouth.
The animals are among 2,000 sheep to be slaughtered and buried immediately at the Great Orton site in Cumbria in an operation being organised by the Army.
Livestock wagons are expected to arrive throughout the day.
The animals will be shepherded into pens before they are taken to a covered area where Army and civilian slaughtermen will begin the mass cull.
Military butchers are joining the frontline of the sheep slaughter in Cumbria as the Army continues its push to rid the county of foot-and-mouth.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon is due to visit the area to meet military personnel overseeing the cull.
Major Guy Richardson said the Army butchers were all qualified slaughtermen who would use conventional culling methods.
