KENDAL will host the first hearing of Cumbria County Council's independent inquiry into foot-and-mouth disease in the county.
The four-day session begins at the county council offices in Stricklandgate, at 10am next Tuesday, May 7, where witnesses will submit their evidence to a ten-person independent panel, chaired by Professor Phil Thomas.
One of the opening day witnesses will be Brigadier Alex Birtwhistle, who masterminded the disposal of culled animals in the county.
Others to speak over the week include Paul Tiplady, of the Lake District National Park Authority; Veronica Waller, of the National Farmers' Union; Thomas Lowther, of Whitbysteads Hill Farm; Mick Elliot, director of Safety Services for Cumbria County Council; Viv Dodd, of Cumbria Chamber of Commerce; and Chris Collier, of Cumbria Tourist Board.
In addition, the Inquiry panel, which promises to be independent and non-political, will spend three days travelling around Cumbria to give people affected by the crisis an opportunity to explain their experiences.
Starting at 7pm, it will call at Ulverston on May 14; Appleby Public Hall on May 15; and Longtown Memorial Hall on May 16.
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