VISITORS are being advised to take care when visiting Cannon Hall Farm after a suspected outbreak of E.coli.

Staff at the Cawthorne farm are handing out leaflets saying children under the age of six should not touch the animals.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has confirmed that it is investigating a small number of cases with the farm, the “likely source of infection in some individuals”.

The HPA says it is the E.coli O157 strain which children and older people are vulnerable to.

A leaflet headed ‘Keep Safe on the Farm’ was given to Huddersfield mother-of-two Anne-Marie Senior when she visited the farm last weekend.

The leaflet says that ‘every year there are a small number of infections of E.coli associated with visits to farms including ours. You or your children are at risk of getting ill if you do not follow the advice...’

It then lists ten points which families are advised to stick to.

But on the leaflet the Cawthorne farm stresses that the risk is low, adding; “Every year several million people visit farms. Please remember the chances of ill health following a farm visit are very small.”

Robert Nicholson, of Cannon Hall Farm, said that with half a million visitors every year, it was important to put it into perspective.

He said: “Cannon Hall Farm can confirm that a very small scale outbreak, possibly linked to the farm, did occur and we believe the people involved have made a full recovery.

“Visitors during this period were informed of this and restrictions have been lifted.”

Veterinary officers have since praised the farm for being proactive and said the animals were in perfect health and test results in line with expectations.

The HPA says visitors to any farm and those walking in the countryside should be aware of the risk from livestock, not only by touching them, but fences and surrounding areas too.

They also tell visitors to follow farm guidance regarding hand washing facilities, which have been praised at Cannon Hall.

Mrs Senior took her young children to the farm last weekend and said: “It’s been about two or three months since we last visited and noticed the changes straight away.

“They used to sell bags of feed which the children could give to the animals but they’ve stopped doing that.

“It’s such a shame because it was always the sort of place where the children could get involved, but you can understand why they’ve done it.”

A spokeswoman for the Health Protection Agency Yorkshire and the Humber said samples were taken for testing from the individuals affected and from animals on the farm.

Dr Rosy McNaught, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at South Yorkshire Health Protection Unit, said: “Detailed laboratory analysis has been carried out on the samples taken for testing.

“Investigations are ongoing but preliminary results suggest the farm is a likely source of infection in some individuals.

“Once the HPA and local authorities became aware of cases of E.coli with possible links to the farm, a number of additional precautionary measures were advised to ensure that any potential risk of infection was reduced further.

“These precautionary measures were advised in addition to the strict hygiene measures that open farms should routinely follow at all times.

“A number of environmental samples taken for testing have all proven to be negative.

“Farm animals, even those that look clean and healthy, carry infections that can be harmful.

“Visitors are reminded to be extra vigilant in supervising children, and ensure that strict hygiene measures and any health advice provided by farms is followed.”