'Shabby' lab blamed for foot and mouth outbreak in the UK

The report's author, Dr Iain Anderson, said the foot-and-mouth virus should never have escaped the government-run Pirbright complex in Surrey.

He identified poor regulation by several organisations, including the Department of the Environment (Defra).

The government says Defra will no longer regulate the laboratory.

The Pirbright complex was identified as the likely source of two foot-and-mouth outbreaks in 2007.

Thousands of animals were destroyed and millions of pounds lost by farmers as quarantine zones were set up and meat exports banned.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive blamed bio-security lapses at Pirbright which happened after a tree root damaged a laboratory pipe containing the foot-and-mouth virus.