Every farm in Sussex will be given lifesaving injections for cattle and sheep to stave off the threat of the deadly bluetongue disease.

Industry bosses feared the county's livestock would be devastated this summer from a fresh outbreak of the insect carried virus.

But so many doses of the vaccine that prevents bluetongue has been produced, it is believed every herd and flock in Sussex will soon get the treatment.

Yesterday's decision has seen the Dorset and South East zones joined, now covering all of Hampshire and West Sussex, as well as Lincolnshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

The extension is the first in a series of alterations which will eventually see the zones cover the whole of England as more vaccine is delivered to farmers over the summer.

The zone alteration coincides with delivery of a further one million doses of vaccine, all in 50ml bottles.

Now farmers in the new protection zone are being urged to place orders for vaccine as soon as possible.

Defra hopes that every county will be in the protection zone by the end of June - effectively meaning free livestock trade across the country.

Trevor Passmore, of Coombes Farm near Lancing, is the West Sussex National Farmers' Union representative on the South East Livestock Board.

He said: "Once animals are vaccinated, it means farmers can move and trade livestock from one protection zone to another.

"Once the country is completely vaccinated it will be free trade. We will also be able to move livestock to other areas of Europe in the protection zone."

East Sussex farmers began receiving the vaccinations from May 1. The protection zone was set up from East Sussex to Lincolnshire last August.

The disease, which is spread by midges, first emerged in the UK last September and there are now 127 confirmed cases.

Defra initially ordered more than 20 million doses of the vaccine nationwide. West Sussex will benefit before the warm weather increases the number of midges.

Farmers are being urged to remain vigilant for signs of disease with warmer weather likely to bring forward any outbreak this year.

Those farmers coming into the new protection zone will be subject to the same restrictions as those in the existing zone.

Animals can only be moved out of the zone if they have been vaccinated or are naturally immune or direct to slaughter.