MRS Mann was genuinely distressed this week by reports on the TV news that told of the burning of thousands of animals.

But her anguish was very different from the callous reaction shown by most of the rest of our populace in the wake of the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

Farmers, butchers, shoppers and politicians all seemed to be grieving over the damage to the economy and their livelihood. Some folk are now terrified they won't be able to get their daily ration of roast beef once this crisis really takes hold.

But no one seemed to give two hoots about all the poor animals being slaughtered. Perhaps they thought it didn't matter because they were going to die anyway in the abattoir.

Mrs Mann was wailing at the pictures of the animal bonfires and the twisted carcass of a cute little lamb. She even vowed never to eat meat again.

I, of course, couldn't go quite that far. Animal cruelty is rotten, but it would be far crueller to deprive me of my gammon steak on a Sunday.

Nevertheless, this episode has shown we are a nation of hypocrites. We all profess to be animal lovers, but we'll go around ruthlessly killing and burning any beast that has a minuscule chance of harming our fragile economy.

Mrs Mann pleaded to know why the animals can't be treated by vets instead. I don't know enough of the disease to comment, but what I do know is that our meat industry can't take much more of these continual crises.

If Mrs Mann is anything to go by, most Brits will soon be transformed into rabid sandal-wearing vegetarians. And who can blame them?

However, we may be eternally grateful to the foot-and-mouth disaster for one thing. It looks to have resulted in a postponement of the General Election.

Everyone had assumed it was going to be held in May which would have quite ruined my spring.

This period of the year is far too glorious to be marred by grinning Cheshire cat politicians begging for votes on your doorstep. No, it will be far better left to the drab old autumn.

Then it won't be foot-and-mouth disease we're facing. If our politicians are up to their normal antics, it will be more a case of foot-in-mouth.