Britain on Tuesday banned imports of hams as well as many other meat and dairy products from Germany to try to prevent foot-and-mouth disease from spreading to Britain after a case was confirmed on the outskirts of Berlin last week.

The government said that while there were no cases of the livestock disease in Britain, the ban would help stop it spreading and protect British farmers and their livelihoods.

German authorities on Friday confirmed the country's first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years in a herd of water buffalo on the outskirts of Berlin.