Outbreak destroys community life in small French village

The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in north-western France has destroyed community life around the small village of La Baroche-Gondouin. Residents interviewed by Liberation newspaper blame JeanFrancois Reboux, the sheep trader who imported more than 1,000 animals from Britain last month, for their misfortune.

Mr Reboux was born in La Baroche and is the son and grandson of sheep traders. But when he returned to his native village in the Mayenne department eight years ago, other villagers snubbed him.

"Everyone was afraid he would bring germs from other coun tries," a 70-year-old farmer named Maurice told Liberation. "The only thing certain is that (foot-and-mouth disease) came from Reboux. . . With his spotless farm, his big Mercedes and his four-wheel drive, people didn't feel at ease with him. In eight years, nobody made friends with him."

Local farmers resented Mr Reboux naming his trading company "L'Agneau Mayennais". In a region of smallholdings, he bought his sheep wholesale in England and Scotland, then sold them with the Mayenne label in Paris. He also used his farm as a transit point for sheep en route to Spain, since EU rules demand a stop-over for long distance livestock convoys.

Mr Reboux went on television to say how sorry he was for what had happened, and to remind the public his sheep were the first to be incinerated.

"That's completely different from what's happened to us," a farmer who did not wish to be named told Liberation. "For us, a herd that goes up in smoke is a whole career. It's years of animal breeding. I know every one of my cows, where they come from. His sheep stay for two days and they're out of here."

Local rumour claims that with the indemnities he will receive from Paris, Mr Reboux may even make a profit on the sheep which brought foot-and-mouth from England.

He has not left his house since his herd was destroyed two weeks ago. Neighbours say his children are taunted at school and his wife is upset. Mr Reboux told Liberation he receives threatening phone calls but no sympathy.

"I tell myself that it's because of the sheep on my farm that this whole thing started. But everything was legal; the lambs had papers, health certificates. It's not my fault. It's because of England. It's an unending chain."

The journalist from Liberation passed a weeping woman walking two greyhounds in a country lane. She is Julia Fannington, from Wales, and has lived in the neighbouring village of Thuboeuf for 18 months.

"People hold me responsible," Ms Fannington said. "When I went to gym class on Monday they gave me dirty looks and they were saying, `English, English, English'."

Ms Fannington said Mr Reboux was the guilty party. "He knew about the crisis in England when he brought his sheep over. He must have known from the newspapers."