A BLUETONGUE control zone has been extended after infected cattle were found at another Kent farm.

The new cases were discovered among livestock on a farm at Sevenoaks yesterday although neither officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) or the National Farmers' Union (NFU) will confirm the exact location of the outbreak.

It comes after cases of bluetongue were found at farms near Ashford and Rye earlier this month.

The control zone, which previously covered parts of Essex and East Anglia, has now been stretched to cover Kent and East Sussex.

Farmers can move animals between farms within the control zone but animals may not be moved out of the zone, except to slaughter.

The measures were welcomed by the NFU's South East spokeswoman.

She said: "The move should bring slight relief to farmers as they can now move animals across a much wider area of south eastern and eastern England. More options are now open to livestock farmers where grazing availability and farm-to-farm trade are concerned."

The disease, a non-contagious virus spread by a midge species, affects ruminants, including sheep and cattle, is not usually fatal. Animals with bluetongue are not usually culled and a vaccine against the disease is expected to be available from next May.