AN illustrious Goodrich farming family has hoisted up the drawbridge to protect its 350-year agricultural heritage - and a herd of succulent rare pigs.

Farmer Richard Vaughan, who runs Pedigree Meats of Herefordshire at Huntsham Court Farm, is fearful his treasured Middle White pigs and other rare breeds will catch the disease if traffic controls on a road through the middle of his farm are lifted.

But the C road joining the B4229 across Huntsham Bridge is regarded as a lifeline to the popular tourism businesses in Symonds Yat East.

Owner of Wyedean Outdoor Adventure Centre, Paul Howells, claims the traffic lights and disinfectant mats are keeping tourists away.

He claims he has lost £50,000 since the start of the crisis and 200 people due to visit the centre over the May bank holiday have cancelled.

Kingfisher Cruises, the Saracens Head Inn and other pubs and hotels are also affected.

However, the measures are out of Mr Vaughan's and the community's control and will stay in place until Herefordshire County Council is told they can go. ADAS were due to review the situation on Tuesday.

The council's head of engineering and transportation Stephen Oates, said: "It was our initiative to put some disinfectant mats on the road. We were concerned as Mr Vaughan's farm straddles the road and other vehicles using the route could spread the disease into the county. "We constructed two disinfectant stations either side of Huntsham Court Farm. There was a series of complaints just before Easter to say they were deterring visitors from businesses."

He said the council hadn't seen any evidence of motorists being put off, but the mats will be removed as soon as it is safe.

"As a council we are trying to address the problems of tourism too - the fact tourism is down in the area is due to a much larger reason. The problems for tourism and farmers are incompatible."

Mr Vaughan, who also has tourism experience, is offering a pig for roasting at a party afterwards to entice people back.

He supplies one quarter of England's Middle White pigs that are sold to the country's top Michelin starred restaurants, including the River Caf, Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor and La Gravoche in London.

His succulent pork was acclaimed recently by TV master chef Anthony Worral Thompson: "Ever since I tasted Middle White at a rare breed tasting some time ago I have been hooked. It's juicy, incredibly tender and the crackling works a treat," he said.

Mr Vaughan, whose ancestors arrived at the manor at Courtfield, Welsh Bicknor, in the early 1500s, also breeds Longhorn cattle -- the breed that made England famous for its roast beef -- and Ryeland sheep, developed in the Ross-on-Wye area and which were known as 'the sweet meat of Herefordshire.'