The editor behind the Westcountry’s Green Wellie Appeal is fuming after being told funds raised to relieve people affected foot and mouth will not be match-funded by the Government.

Western Morning News readers have been raising money for the appeal, and their campaign quickly smashed through the £1m mark, the biggest sum of money raised by any regional newspaper appeal.

But editor Barrie Williams believes the news that the Government is not going to match fund some of the money will leave a “very bad taste” in the mouth of an area affected so badly by the disease.

He said: “When, back in March, the then environment minister Michael Meacher committed the Government to match funding of the Green Wellie Appeal his promise was unqualified and unconditional.”

In fact, the minister said: “I am delighted the WMN is launching this appeal. We strongly support its purpose and we will be delighted to match it pound for pound.”

Barrie Williams said: “Government officials now say that corporate donations made by companies will not be eligible – a distrinction Mr Meacher never made at the time.

“So far as the Green Wellie Appeal is concerned the sum is not so great.

“Around £40,000 came in from corporate donations from Westcountry businesses. But it is the principle which the Government is offending.”

He said the money was given in good faith by businesses and of the cash handed over to ARC Addington, one of the main charities handling donations nation-wide, some £1.1m has been classed as corporate and will not be matched. Had the firms realised they could have given in other ways, such as charitable trusts, to get the most out of their donation.

Mr Williams said: “The foot and mouth crisis is a national emergency and in such circumstances surely the rules could be relaxed.

“The Government’s parsimonious approach is typical of the lack of genuine concern it has shown for foot and mouth-affected farmers and businesses from day one of the epidemic.”

The disease and the consequent countryside crisis were not even mentioned in the Queen’s speech, he said.

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