Spot-checks on vehicles transporting livestock to Oxfordshire's only cattle market have revealed "shocking" breaches of laws aimed at preventing the spread of disease.

Twenty-two animal health and welfare offences relating to 15 of 32 vehicles entering Thame Farmers Auction Mart were discovered by Trading Standards officers.

Two vehicles were so dirty they could have been a "breeding ground for diseases" such as foot-and-mouth, which brought Oxfordshire's farming and tourism industry to a halt in 2001.

Trading Standards officers are investigating two further suspected offences relating to disease prevention.

It is thought two vehicles were carrying livestock from several farms, which is illegal without a special licence.

Other findings from the checks - carried out in conjunction with Customs and Excise, and the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency, outside the cattle market between 6am and 10.30am last Wednesday -- showed:

11 vehicles did not meet road worthiness standards

Seven did not have an operator's licence to carry livestock

Three of seven weighed were overweight

One was running on low-tax red diesel, meant only for off-road agricultural vehicles. It was the first spot-check of its kind in Oxfordshire in 10 years and Trading Standard's animal health officer Martin Woodley said the results were "alarming".

He warned further random checks would be carried out throughout the year.

Mr Woodley said: "I want to emphasise that there aren't any problems inside the market itself.

"We have an officer based there and it is extremely clean and has all the provisions in place to stop the spread of disease.

"But the results were quite shocking.

"We didn't expect to come across what we did. Two of the vehicles were clearly dirty and could provide a breeding ground for disease.

"Any vehicles transporting livestock should be cleaned after each delivery."

Some on-the-spot penalties were handed out, but in more serious cases offenders face prosecution.

Vehicles take animals from across Oxfordshire and the UK to the market, in North Street, each Wednesday and Friday.

Market auctioneer Simon Draper said: "We have no responsibility whatsoever over this. It's entirely up to the vehicle owners, company or farmers."

He said smaller vehicles tended to be the problem, saying commercial hauliers were usually "very good" at obeying the law.