The Belgian government has imposed a three-day ban on all transport of farm animals after reporting a suspected outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Belgian Agriculture Minister, Mr Jaak Gabriels, said a farm near Diksmuide, 60 miles west of Brussels, recently imported British pigs.
The government immediately quarantined the farm, ordered laboratory tests and imposed a countrywide ban on all transports of farm animals for at least three days.
Mr Gabriels said the government has also ordered police to confiscate all animal transports which were on the road in Belgium during the night from Friday to Saturday.
Those animals will be destroyed immediately.
Although no confirmed cases have been found outside Britain since the outbreak a week ago, several European nations have taken precautions to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease.
Belgium has already destroyed hundreds of sheep imported from Britain since February 1. Other measures have included stepped up border checks for people travelling from Britain to ensure they bring no meat or dairy products into the country.
Belgium has also prolonged for another week a closure order on livestock markets around the country and banned commercial slaughtering of sheep and goats until March 19.
PA