Britain's foot-and-mouth cases reach 2,000
The number of confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth in the UK has reached 2,000.
The milestone case was the third to be confirmed in Cumbria today, agriculture officials say.
Cumbria is the worst-hit county with 878 cases.
The milestone was passed as protesters continued to call on European commissioners to help them close a foot-and-mouth burial site in County Durham.
A legal challenge to close the 200,000-capacity pit site in Tow Law, which was re-opened on Sunday, came on the day that the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs disclosed it was considering re-opening another burial site in neighbouring Northumberland.
Defra maintains the burial sites are needed because of insufficient rendering facilities to deal with the growing number of carcasses.
So far, 1,400 sheep and 275 cattle have been taken to Tow Law since it was re-opened at the weekend and further lorry-loads have been going in during the day.
Tow Law, which stands 700 metres away from a primary school, holds 37,000 carcasses from the initial foot-and-mouth outbreak, plus the weekend's carcasses.
Around 15 protesters arrived at the site to show their anger at the continuing burial of animals.
The latest figures show 40,214 sheep have been slaughtered, 5,945 cattle and 22 pigs since the new outbreak 10 days ago. A further 9,043 sheep, 790 cattle and three pigs are awaiting slaughter.
