'Ban farm visits'
CHILDREN under five should be barred from going to open farms because of the risk of E.coli, according to Britain’s leading microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington.
His call follows the outbreak at Godstone Farm in Surrey, which has infected 41 children and four adults, leaving some seriously ill and facing possible long-term complications.
He admitted it might sound draconian to stop very young children from going to “petting” farms but warned: “We should be protecting small ones from the risk of picking up an illness that can kill.”
Professor Pennington, who headed the official investigation into the UK’s worst E.coli outbreak, which killed 21 people in Scotland, said that in Sweden, where youngsters are advised not to go to “petting” farms, there is very little E.coli infection in under-fives.
The Department of Health would not comment on his views last night but Bernie Landshoff, chairman of the National Farm Attractions Network, called his attitude “over the top”.
He said the farms had an excellent record with only a few recorded E.coli 0157 infections over the years.
The professor first called for a ban on farm visits 10 years ago after four-year-old Tom Dowling was left paralysed and brain-damaged by E.coli after a school trip to a Hertfordshire farm.
Tom won £2.6million in compensation but died from pneumonia three and a half years ago.
Now Odette Browning is to take legal action against the Health Protection Agency for not closing the Godstone Farm earlier.
Her son Kyan, four, went to the farm more than a week after the HPA was aware that it was dealing with an outbreak there.
The 27-year-old from Rochester, Kent, said: “When he was finally admitted to hospital his kidneys were close to failing. He needed a blood transfusion.”
