Visitors are being turned away from dozens of attractions in Oxfordshire as outbreaks of foot and mouth disease encircle the county.

Zoos, wildlife parks, Magdalen College and nature reserves are all closed to visitors.

Protected: Magdalen College has shut its doors to prevent an outbreak in the deer park

Dog walkers, riders and ramblers are being asked to stay away from the countryside and farms with livestock for fear of spreading the disease.

Oxfordshire is now surrounded by the disease with suspected cases in Great Horwood, Buckinghamshire, to the east, Gloucester, Thornbury and Stroud, Gloucestershire, to the west and a confirmed case at Bronham abattoir, Wiltshire to the south.

The Gloucester Green Farmers' Market, in Oxford, on March 1 is cancelled under guidance from the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF).

The Bicester Farmers' Market, in Sheep Street, will go ahead on March 8 but without any livestock produce. Other markets planned for after March 2, including Witney on Thursday 15, are under review.

Port Meadow and Shotover Park will remain open after Oxford City Council took advice from MAFF but owners of horses on Port Meadow are being asked to move them as a precaution.

Magdalen College is closed to visitors for the next seven days to protect its herd of deer and the decision will be reviewed daily.

President Anthony Smith said: "We thought we had better be safe than sorry. People coming here may have come from farm areas although there are not many tourists around this time of year.

"We are putting down straw and disinfectant for those in frequent contact with the deer."

Blenheim Palace, in Woodstock, does not have its own deer herd although wild deer do roam throughout the park. Disinfectant has been placed at all entrances and commercial access to the park has been restricted.

The West Oxfordshire Deer Management Group is strongly urging people not to go rambling in the countryside for fear of infecting the wild herd which grazes land including Swinbrook, Cornbury, Ditchley, Wilcote, Eynsham Park and Blenheim.

The Northmoor Trust has asked visitors to stay away from Little Wittenham Nature Reserve, near Didcot, until the crisis is over.

Trust Director Dr Stephen Head said: "We must protect the population of deer in our woodland, as well as the sheep that graze our grassland. Visitors come here from all over Oxfordshire, and beyond, so there is a great risk they could accidentally bring the virus with them.

"We cannot close public rights of way but ask everyone to be patient and keep away from Little Wittenham Nature Reserve."

The Trust has also cancelled its lambing open days planned for March 3 and 4 and March 10 and 11.

The Cotswold Wildlife Park, near Burford, is closed to the public until further notice to protect its rare breeds of deer, camels, llamas, antelopes, pigs, sheep and goats.

Children at Stanford in the Vale Primary School, who hoped to plant 36 trees on two nearby farms on Sunday March 4 and Sunday March 11 have been forced to abandon plans.

The Didcot and Wallingford Ramblers have had to cancel a five-mile walk including the Wittenham Clumps and may decide to walk through Dorchester instead.

The farm at Burford School, which has pigs, sheep and goats, has been put out of bounds to pupils.

The Blue Cross animal welfare centre at Burford is also taking precautions.

Miss Yvonne Lilley, of the charity, said: "We have mainly horses, dogs and cats but a few sheep and goats which could get foot and mouth. All vehicles and pedestrians are being disinfected and we are not taking any animals from livestock farms. All dog walking close to livestock has been stopped and all members of staff and volunteers are changing their clothes and using a foot dip."

Cogges Manor Farm Museum, which has sheep and cattle among its stock, is reviewing whether to allow a school visit booked on March 6.

Meanwhile shoppers are being urged not to panic buy meat. Butcher Mr Martin Slatter, of Slatters butchers, Chadlington, said: "At the moment my suppliers say there is not a problem with lamb and beef but it will be difficult to get pork."

Mr Donald Baker of Bakers butchers in Witney's Woolgate Centre said: "People were panic buying on Saturday. It's the busiest day we've had for a long, long time.

"At the moment there is still meat at the abattoirs and wholesalers but the stocks of British meat will soon run out and suppliers are looking at alternative markets abroad which will be reflected in the price."

Meanwhile South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) has suspended its dustbin collections from farms because of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

No dustcarts or recycling lorries will be going to local farms until further notice.

In the Vale of White Horse farmers have been told their rubbish will only be collected from the roadside, with livestock farmers being asked not to put any domestic refuse out at all until the no movement order is lifted.

For more information and alternative arrangements SODC residents can call 01491 823416 and VWH residents 01235 520202.

Oxfordshire County Council said today it was unable to stop people using countryside footpaths - public rights of way can only be closed by MAFF as part of an exclusion order on a particular site.

But it strongly advised people not to walk or ride in rural areas, pointing out that the disease can be carried on pets, clothes and vehicles and although horses cannot catch foot and mouth they can transmit it.

Cherwell District Council has cancelled all its circular walks and planning officers have cancelled site visits to farms.

The winter countryside events programme leaflets, which are available from all council offices, have also been withdrawn.

Farmers with enquiries about public rights of way can call freephone 0845 0504141 and members of the public can call the Countryside Service on 01865 810226.

One of the county's largest fishing clubs last night banned its anglers from fishing from most of Oxfordshire's waterways.

Abingdon and Oxford Angling Alliance's 600-plus members are now restricted to angling on:

**The river Thames from Sandford to Radley.

**Bullfield Lake

**Dorchester Lake

**Marlborough Pool

Mr Alan Goodchild, the club's secretary, said: "It's a matter of being pro-active rather than do nothing. We want to stay a step ahead and do what we can to help.

"We cannot speak for other Angling clubs, but we can only hope that others will use common sense and follow suit."