The lifting of foot and mouth restrictions in Oxfordshire has resulted in "confusion" in the countryside, a county councillor has claimed.

Faringdon councillor Judith Heathcoat (Con) told Tuesday's meeting of Oxfordshire County Council that farmers felt the reopening of footpaths might be premature.

She also criticised the format of green signs put up to declare footpaths open. Oxfordshire County Council has asked farmers and landowners to put up the signs away from grazing animals, where there is no risk of the disease being spread.

Mrs Heathcoat said: "These are rather ambiguous and their usage is causing confusion. The top of the notice says 'this path is open' and then it goes on to say 'do not go through no-entry signs'.

"This confusion is sending out the wrong message. The farmers think the lifting of the restrictions is too early."

She said farmers were still urging members of the public to stay away from grazing land.

She warned: "I feel maybe we are not in touch with the actual situation in the countryside."

However, the handling by Trading Standards officers of the foot and mouth crisis was praised by other members of the council.

Vice-chairman Cllr Charles Shouler, a retired farmer who lives a short distance from a confirmed foot and mouth outbreak in Little Chesterton, said: "The work the Trading Standards department is doing is seven days a week.

"It would be better if the Government had acted as well and as competently as the Trading Standards department of this council."

David Orpwood, Nat- ional Farmers' Union chairman for Oxfordshire, said farmers should take the lead in reopening footpaths, rather than the task being left to council officials.

He said: "My worry is if it's left to officers to open up footpaths, they don't know what animals are going to be moved.

"I think they should be opened where there's no livestock or no livestock in the vicinity. We don't want it spread by movements of wild animals."