1. ITV Report

Concern over sheep virus

Sheep at a farm in Grantham Photo:

Cases of the Schmallenberg infection have been spreading across Southern England- prompting memories of the devastating impact of the foot and mouth epidemic in 2001.

The virus causes sheep to give birth to deformed and still born lambs and now there are fears that farms in Lincolnshire could be first in line if the outbreak does spread north.

The lambs born to affected sheep will either be deformed or in worse cases dead.

The sheep themselves will produce less milk and suffer from a fever.

"The concern is that it's an unknown. It's something very new. It's not just the loss of the lambs. We can be losing the ewes as well.

– Peter Clarke, farmer from Grantham