The mass cull of healthy animals to stamp out foot-and-mouth in the UK has begun.
The pre-emptive slaughter scheme has started on two farms in the north of Scotland which have links to infected markets, the Scottish Executive said.
Slaughter of healthy sheep from farms in Dumfries and Galloway - is due to begin next week along with the cull of animals in areas rife with foot-and-mouth disease.
However a farmers' group has warned that some of those in the worst affected areas would not report suspected cases of foot-and-mouth in their herds for fear of reprisals from neighbours.
Lobby group Farmers For Action said farmers in Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway would stop reporting suspected cases because of fears of a backlash from neighbours.
This came as the confirmed number of cases in the UK rose to 297, including the first detected case in Shropshire.
There, a sheep and goat farm in Outwoods near Newport had confirmed disease in 786 sheep and one goat, the Ministry of Agriculture said.
An FFA spokesman said farmers in the regions were "frightened" of passing on details to MAFF officials.
The group stepped up its "all-out war" with the British Government over the disease, announcing it is seeking a judicial review over the Government's handling of the crisis.
PA