A TEACHER who travels to Settle and Clitheroe to visit students is alarmed that disinfectant troughs for vehicles have been empty on six out of his last seven journeys.

Graham Ramsey said he was concerned that the lack of disinfectant could lead to the spread of foot and mouth. Yesterday the first case in Pendle was confirmed at Rainhall Farm, off Ben Lane, Barnoldswick.

Care practice teacher Graham, of Manchester Road, Nelson, said: "They have put special troughs across the roads leading into Settle and Sawley and they should be full of disinfectant so that the car's tyres are disinfected before and after the vehicles enter the infected areas.

"I am most alarmed by this. There seems to be no-one monitoring the amount of disinfectant in these troughs. Only once did I see a tanker filling the trough up and six or seven hours later it was empty again."

"I am extremely concerned when their is a rampant epidemic of foot and mouth no-one seems to be monitoring the disinfectant levels. Even the army vehicles were seen to be going through the trough but nNo-one seems concerned that there was no disinfectant to stop the spread of the disease."

Richard Marr, divisional engineer for North Yorkshire County Council said: "The troughs were originally put down in agreement with the National Farmers' Union and the farmers were to supply the disinfectant. But many farmers, understandably, have been reluctant to leave their farms so we will now take it on board and supply the disinfectant."

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said the trough near Sawley had been installed by a farmer and was therefore his responsibility to stock it with disinfectant.