Fylde farmers can vaccinate cattle

Farmers across the Fylde coast will finally be able to vaccinate their livestock against Bluetongue disease - which is sweeping through France.

Manufacturer Merial has released more than two million additional doses of the vaccine, which protects against the the serotype 8 strain of the disease.

It is spread by midges to cattle and sheep.

More than 2,000 new cases of Bluetounge has been recorded in France, with the vast majority coming in the last fortnight. It was first reported in Britain last year.

The announcement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) should allow Lancashire farmers to resume trading with livestock traders in areas where the vaccine is already available.