Originally from: Sue Mason
                        
Prime Minister Tony Blair was today urged to rethink his "lax response" to the potential threat of England fans bringing home foot-and-mouth disease from Japan and South Korea.
Amid reports of outbreaks in the two World Cup countries, Mr Blair last week promised to look at what measures were necessary at airports to prevent English fans bringing the disease back into Britain.
But his insistence to the House of Commons that authorities should not be "overly restrictive" has prompted Conservative MEPs to accuse his Government of complacency.
The European Foot-and-Mouth committee last night published a draft proposal highlighting concerns about an outbreak on the Continent, which will be put to the Brussels parliament next week.
The committee urged EU countries to tighten their control measures at airports, including increased use of sniffer dogs.
Fans must also sign a form to say they understand the dangers of contamination, the committee said.
Conservative European Agriculture spokesman Neil Parish said: "Having suffered from the disastrous effect of the foot-and-mouth epidemic we cannot risk any infection coming back from Korea.
"We need as a matter of great urgency to put greater protective measures in place across Europe.
"In particular, the UK Government must rethink its very lax response to this potential problem before it becomes too late.
"Farmers and consumers deserve the right to know we are doing everything we can to protect us against further contamination."
Liberal Democrat MP Nick Harvey, whose North Devon constituency was badly affected by the outbreak last year, challenged the Prime Minister in the Commons over reports of foot-and-mouth in Japan and South Korea.
Mr Blair promised to look at what measures were necessary to prevent a recurrence in Britain, but stressed that strict controls were already in place and the authorities would not want to be "overly restrictive".
He told MPs: "We obviously will look at what measures are necessary. But I think it is important to recognise we have very strict measures now in place as a result of the foot-and-mouth outbreak that occurred here.
"Whereas of course we have to take any reasonable precaution, we also have to make sure too that we aren't being overly restrictive or unnecessarily bureaucratic."