The Sussex Downs have been shut off to the public and the first farm has laid off workers as the foot and mouth crisis worsens.

Public paths across the Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have been declared off-limits to prevent the spread of the disease.

The number of foot and mouth cases nationwide today rose to 29. There were also fears the disease had crossed the Irish Sea.

A case in Northern Ireland was expected to be confirmed later today, along with three more in England - one in Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, and two in Carlisle.

So far there have been no outbreaks in Sussex but there is suspected case in Hampshire close to the West Sussex border.

Today the Sussex Downs Conservation Board, working with West and East Sussex county councils and Brighton and Hove City Council, said anyone found using rights of way could be prosecuted and fined up to £5,000.

Meanwhile 32 workers have been laid off at Middle Farm in Firle, which has closed due to the scare.

The full and part-time staff are devastated and say they do not know where to turn for help.

Farm butcher Peter Bradley, 50, said: "We were all grief-stricken by the closure. We will not be getting paid, but we still have to eat just like everyone else.

"I am lucky as I live in a cottage on the farm, but lots of the workers have rents to pay and families to support. What will they do?

"If the farm went bust I hate to imagine the consequences. It is not like employers are calling out for butchers at the moment."

John Pile, who owns Middle Farm, said he could only afford to keep on 12 employees to look after the farm animals.

Mr Pile, 64, said: "We are right by a main road so we had no option but to shut down. We have tried to do everything we can for our workers but it is an impossible situation.

"It is an extremely serious situation for us. We daren't let people on the premises, but we still have animals to look after. There is a limit to how long we can go on like this for."

Middle Farm has about 150 dairy cattle, 50 beef cattle and other animals including pigs.

Goodwood Country Park and the Seven Sisters Country Park have been closed, along with Buchan Country Park in Crawley and the Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve.

A monthly farmers' market planned to take place in Hailsham on March 10 has been cancelled and Drusillas Zoo Park in Alfriston has closed its doors.

However, at Ardingly Agricultural Showground, which regularly holds cattle auctions and livestock shows, antique dealers have been setting up stalls in sheds and surrounding fields since Monday afternoon for a two-day collectors' fair which ended yesterday.

The Mid Downs dog show scheduled for Saturday is still going ahead.

Wealden District Council has closed the Cuckoo Trail and all footpaths which cross its 12-mile route between Polegate and Heathfield.

The public have been banned from council land at Wilmington Common and Monken Pyn in Wilmington, Diplocks Wood in Polegate and Ashdown Forest.

The National Trust has closed grazed downland at Birling Gap, but ungrazed land between Birling Gap and Belle Tout remains open.

The Tilgate Nature Centre in Crawley, which houses extremely rare White Park cattle and other rare breeds of sheep, goats, pigs and ponies, has been shut. So has Gatwick Zoo.