Last September the Grumpy Vegan quoted enthusiastically from an article by Max Hastings which said
Whatever the explanation of the Surrey foot and mouth outbreak, it appears plain that someone at the Pirbright laboratory complex was negligent. Virus cultures are, in effect, biological weapons, and require handling accordingly. In this case, something went badly wrong.
It does not seem vindictive to suggest that when all the facts are in, if it proves possible to attribute responsibility to individuals, they should be sacked. The outbreak has cost tens of millions of pounds, caused massive disruption and put the fear of God into the rural community. If accountability means anything, somebody should pay the price.
Now, the news is in that
The animal health laboratories at the centre of last summer’s foot-and-mouth disease outbreak will not be prosecuted, Surrey County Council says.
Eight farms were infected with the disease and farmers lost millions due to livestock movement restrictions.
Investigators concluded the virus had probably escaped from a drain at the government’s Pirbright labs in Surrey.
But the council says it is impossible to tell which of the bodies using the site was responsible for the leak.
A series of probes found the source was probably a damaged drain shared by the Institute of Animal Health and drug company Merial.
The BBC report goes on to quote Iain Anderson, who
criticised the “creeping degradation of standards” at the site, which he labelled “shabby and dilapidated”.
Anderson led the government’s review into the 2001 foot and mouth crisis.
“Shabby and dilapidated” government and private laboratories handling the foot and mouth virus doesn’t inspire much confidence, does it? And why isn’t anyone being held responsible?
