Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Order (Northern Ireland) 1999

Notification of disease in animals

4.—(1) A person who has in his possession or under his charge an affected or a suspected animal, or the carcase of such an animal, and any veterinary surgeon or other person who, in the course of his duties, examines or inspects any such animal or carcase shall, with all practicable speed, notify the fact to the Divisional Veterinary Officer for the area in which the animal or carcase is kept or any member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

(2) A person who has in his possession or under his charge on any premises an affected or a suspected animal, or the carcase of such an animal, shall detain it on the premises until it has been examined by a veterinary inspector.

(3) The owner or occupier of premises on which an affected or suspected animal is or has been kept and his employees, and any person who is or has been in possession or charge of any animal or carcase which is or has been on such premises, shall if so required by an inspector give such information as he possesses as to—

(a) any animal or carcase which is or has been on such premises;

(b) any other animal or carcase with which any animal or carcase which is or has been on such premises may have come into contact; and

(c) the location and movement of any animal or carcase which is or has been in his possession or charge.

(4) The Department may mark for identification purposes any animal or carcase on premises on which an affected or suspected animal is kept.

(5) Subject to paragraph (8), a person who, in the course of a laboratory examination of a sample of an animal or a carcase suspects the presence of the disease in that sample shall, with all practicable speed, notify the fact to the Divisional Veterinary Officer.

(6) Where a notice has been given under paragraph (5) in respect of any sample, a person shall not remove—

(a) that sample from the laboratory in which it was examined for the presence of disease; or

(b) any animal or carcase from which it was taken from the place where it is kept, except under and in accordance with a licence granted by the Department.

(7) A person shall, if so required by the Department, supply it with such samples as it may specify of any carcases to which a notice given under paragraph (5) relates.

(8) Paragraph (5) shall not apply in relation to any sample—

(a) into which disease was deliberately introduced for research purposes; or

(b) taken from a carcase or animal into which disease was so introduced.