A case of foot-and-mouth has been found at a site in Egham, 10 miles from the scene of the last outbreak in Surrey.

A pre-emptive slaughter of cattle at Milton Park Farm in Stroude Road in Egham is already underway and a 10km exclusion zone has been set by around the site, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed.

Defra said that the presence of the disease at the site was now confirmed following laboratory analyses and a national ban on the movement of livestock is again in force.

It is understood that parts of the Queen's Windsor Estate fall within the exclusion zone and a number of precautionary measures have been introduced, including the closure of the deer park and the suspension of matches at Guards Polo Club.

National Farmers' Union President Peter Kendall has described the latest finding as a "disaster for farming."

The UK's Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Debbie Reynolds has appealed to farmers to be vigilant and report any suspicious animals to the authorities. She said: "The containment and eradication of foot and mouth disease is our top priority."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is due to chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee later today.

Meanwhile, it also emerged on Wednesday afternoon that vets in Scotland were investigating the case of a sick sheep at an agricultural centre in Lanarkshire. The animal was reportedly showing signs of foot-and-mouth disease.

Foot-and-mouth cases were confirmed at two farms in Surrey last month. A report suggested that the likely source of the outbreak was the nearby Pirbright research site, which is shared by private pharmaceutical company Merial and the Institute for Animal Health. However, the report said it was not clear which of the labs was responsible.

Last Friday, the government said that the affected area was now free of foot-and-mouth.

Prior to today's confirmed outbreak, the European Commission was prepared to lift the remaining trade restrictions, which were put in place following last month's outbreak.

(KMcA/SP)