Councillor Louise Wainwright (Liberal Democrat, Salcombe), who is the vice chair of Devon County Council’s farms estate committee, said the upsurge in bluetongue was “causing deep distress to those farmers involved”. “They are witnessing the painful demise of infected animals that they have raised on their farms,” she said. “The financial losses will pose additional burdens on farmers already struggling with the heatwaves which are impacting on fodder availability and prices. “Warm weather has accelerated the proliferation of the virus within the midge vector. Cllr Cottle Hunkin said many farmers had contacted her to say they had been hit with the virus, and she at the time said they had lost about eight sheep to the virus.