Experts who looked at the Cumbria outbreak, claimed a draft contingency plan by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) needed "very substantial revision".

The report - which stemmed from Cumbria's independent inquiry into the epidemic - said the draft would leave the UK ill-equipped to deal with an outbreak of the disease on the scale of last year.

Cumbria was badly hit by the epidemic in 2001, with more than a million livestock culled at 3,000 farms.

It is no longer sensible to consider foot-and-mouth disease wholly in isolation from other areas of emergency planning

Independent report

The report said: "A lack of appropriate contingency planning, and a failure to adhere to some of the provisions in the contingency plan that existed, compromised the disease control campaign from the outset."

It continued: "Defra has now published an updated draft contingency plan, which has been put out to consultation.

"We have concluded the plan requires very substantial revision."

It added: "It is no longer sensible to consider foot-and-mouth disease wholly in isolation from other areas of emergency planning.

"The devastation the disease can bring is now fully apparent and, after 11 September, bio-terrorism must be regarded as an additional risk factor."

Future outbreak

An independent inquiry, chaired by Professor Phil Thomas, chief executive of the Scottish Agricultural College and Professor of Agriculture at Glasgow University, began in May this year.

The inquiry, which was paid for by Cumbria County Council, found the government's policies and strategies were adjusted haphazardly to deal with the emerging situation as it arose.

The report, which contains 31 recommendations, will be sent to the government and considered by the European Parliament.