CHIPPENHAM cattle market is set to reopen in January, nearly 11 months after it was forced to close because of the foot and mouth crisis.

Peter Kingwill, markets director for Premier Livestock Markets, said if there was no further outbreak the market would reopen.

DEFRA, the body which has replaced MAFF, has been careful about issuing dates. The last outbreak was September 30, and if there is not another one by the end of the year the markets could be allowed to open.

Mr Kingwill said he could not place a figure on how much the markets had lost since February last year but said it had been a difficult time for the business and staff.

"We have had a nightmare 12 months.

"There has obviously been a dramatic decrease in the levels of our income and we are looking forward to getting back to business," he said.

"I suspect there will be a period of scrutiny and control, possibly up to three months, but at the moment we don't know what that will entail," said Mr Kingwill.

He wants to see tighter control on meat imports and blamed the slow implementation of the movement ban for the disease when it was raging out of control all over the country.

"We don't want to see anything like this ever again," he said.

The last market was held at Chippenham on February 23.