BUSINESSES in the south west have won the latest stage of a court battle to get money from the Government for their help during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

A court ruling on Friday means the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was in breach of many of the contracts taken out with local businesses during the 2001 crisis.

This is the latest ruling in a string of court cases in which contractors have sought payments owed to them since 2001, thought to total around £55m.

The Forum of Private Business took on up to 350 cases of companies who worked for the ministry building pyres and disinfecting farms in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Devon.

One of the common complaints from contractors was that Defra would not pay them during meal breaks and travel time.

FPB's Paul Gregory said: "This judgement blows open this huge and astonishing refusal by Defra to pay hundreds of contractors the millions still owed."

The judgement referred to contractors JDM Accord and their deal with Defra, ruling that they should be paid the remaining £5m of the £7m cost of creating a burial pit for carcasses at Ash Moor, Devon.