Sheep and cattle farmers are facing an anxious time as the threat of bluetongue has imposed restrictions on moving livestock.

On October 10 the Kennet district was placed in the protection zone to stop the disease spreading.

Although there has been no cases of Bluetongue in Kennet or Wiltshire, Defra extended the protection zone to 150 km after further cases of Bluetongue were identified in Essex. Outbreaks of Bluetongue have also been in East Anglia.

The rest of Wiltshire is not in the protection zone at the moment.

For farmers in the protection zone it means severe headaches.

They can move their animals to slaughter at Stiles abattoir at Westbrook, Bromham, but nowhere else in Wiltshire.

They can move their animals to abattoirs in the Bluetongue protection zone which is east of Wiltshire but cannot take them to slaughter outside of the protection zone, which includes the south west.

Potterne beef cattle farmer Clyde Hoddinott is affected by this restriction as he takes his older cattle to an abattoir at Oldfield Common in Bristol.

He said: "Over the next couple of weeks I have got 16 older cattle that are due to go to slaughter at Bristol. There are only so many abattoirs that are authorised to deal with older cattle and they are not local."

He said the cost of keeping the cattle longer than necessary would be £1 each a day.

Philip Abbatt, another beef cattle farmer from Potterne, will also be affected as he sends his cattle to slaughter in Langport, Somerset, which is outside the Bluetongue protection zone.

He said: "I have got about 20 young bulls about two weeks away from slaughter so potentially there's a problem looming."

Sheep farmer James Oliphant who farms in the Pewsey Vale has about 500 sheep ready for slaughter but is unable to send them to his normal abattoir in Wales.

He said: "It's a difficult time for farmers and we just hope that gradually we will be able to send sheep to slaughter."

Bluetongue is spread by midges and the disease affects mainly sheep, cattle, deer and goats. So far there has been 34 confirmed cases of Bluetongue in England.

John Chandler, chairman of the Marlborough group of the National Farmers Union, said farmers were hoping for frost to kill off midges.

He said: "It is hoped that the oncoming frosts of winter will eradicate the Bluetongue problem and this is the first time I gave ever wished for cold weather.

"This has been a difficult year for us and it is without question that movement restrictions will have further financial implications for local livestock farmers. Farmers who want to move their livestock should contact the animal health divisional office or seek advice from their farm vet. Useful information can also be found on the Defra website."