TWO sheep owners were facing court appearances this week after their animals were found straying outside the boundaries imposed by the foot and mouth restrictions.

They are to be prosecuted by the County Council's Trading Standards Department, working with the Forest of Dean District Council, for offences under the Animal Health Act of allegedly allowing sheep to stray outside the statutory Forest and within three kilometres of a confirmed outbreak.

The Forest of Dean District Council can also bring charges under the Highways Act for allowing sheep to stray in a settlement defined in law as a built-up area where land is fenced on both sides of a road.

The Trading Standards offence carries a maximum fine of £5,000 while the District Council offence could result in a maximum fine of £1,000.

A Trading Standards spokesman told the Review on Tuesday the department had been inundated with calls from Forest of Dean residents concerned about roaming sheep.

Teams of officers were answering calls from throughout the area and the situation worsened this week as further foot and mouth outbreaks were confirmed at Blakeney and English Bicknor.

So far around 30 sheep and lambs have been killed having strayed outside he statutory Forest.

Trading Standards say there has been no let up since the first outbreak was confirmed and officers were working late into the night to answer queries.

Mr Tim Perrin, the District Council's director of housing and environmental services, said most sheep owners had co-operated fully with the advice issued earlier this month to control and contain sheep movements.

But he confirmed there had been problems particularly in the Bream and Yorkley areas. He said the council would not hesitate to bring further prosecutions.

The council – though not the lead authority in the incident – has become the first body to publish guidance to the public.

In a statement issued on Monday they say that with the exception of a small area in the extreme north of the district the whole of the Forest of Dean District Council area has now been declared an infected area.

The guidelines are:

•An infected area is declared by MAFF around an infected farm. It is at least 8km in radius.

•It is a protective measure and does not mean that the whole area is infected.

•Farm livestock movement within the area is stopped.

•Farm livestock may be transported into an infected area for slaughter.

•It does not impose restrictions on movement of people, non-livestock vehicles or horses.

The council is asking members of the public to co-operate in the following ways:

•Keep off farms and other land where animals are kept.

•Keep off public footpaths in the countryside.

•Keep dogs on leads and clear up after your dog.

•Report any instances of sheep straying outside the statutory Forest to the County Council Trading Standards Department on 01452 426201.

Report sheep straying in settlements within the statutory Forest where land is enclosed (fenced) on both sides of the highway to Ricard Aston on Dean 812433.

The council has imposed restrictions on its own staff having suspended visits by officials to farms.

Until further notice refuse collections from farms will only be made from main roads and from the end of farm lanes and tracks. Cinderford's Linear Park and Steam Mills lake are closed and public meetings have been cancelled.

Whenever possible council staff have been asked to avoid using minor country roads and particularly lanes bisecting farms and to restrict work journeys outside the Forest, postponing them wherever possible.