Millions of animals were slaughtered during the 2001 outbreak in mass pyres

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The foot-and-mouth crisis that began almost 11 months ago will officially end at midnight, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said.

There have been no outbreaks for more than three months - the last recorded case of the fatal and infectious disease was in Cumbria.

Also, tests on sheep flocks in Northumberland, where the disease was initially traced, have proved negative.

Farmers have said the decision by Defra gives them new hope for the industry's future.

But it will be several weeks before restrictions on livestock farmers can be lifted, and international clearance for the export trade in animals and animal products will take longer.

Currently, only limited exports are allowed within the European Union.

Rural Affairs minister Lord Whitty said: "It will be some time, probably months, before our international partners restore our trading status in the European Union and beyond as a fully foot-and-mouth free state."

Nevertheless, the National Farmers' Union says the end of the crisis removes a "long, dark shadow" from the countryside where more than 2,000 cases of foot-and-mouth have been recorded.

Since the first signs of the disease were discovered on 19 February 2001 at an abattoir in Essex, more than four million animals have been slaughtered - the majority of them sheep.

So huge was the cull, the army had to be called in to organise the burning of animals on masspyresand their burial in mass graves.

According to the Countryside Agency, the government body which works to improve the life of rural England, the outbreak has cost the UK farming industry ?.4bn and the cost to tourism could be as much as ?bn.

Large areas of the countryside were closed and the drop in tourism numbers triggered a wave of bankruptcies among UK businesses, who depend heavily on high spending overseas visitors.

Farmers have criticised the government for the handling of the outbreak and not doing enough to contain the disease.

Sir Matt was knighted shortly after his team won the European Cup

Sir Matt, who is 59, told a news conference at the club's ground at Old Trafford: "It's time to make way for a younger man... a track-suited manager".

He said the pressures of managing a top-class team were becoming too great for a man of his age and he would now take on the role of general manager.

"United is no longer just a football club," he said, "it is an institution. I feel the demands are beyond one human being."

The new team manager has not yet been chosen but one man that may well be considered for the job is Wilf McGuinness, a former United wing-half, a coach and manager of England Under-23s.

Sir Matt is English football's longest serving manager. He took over United in 1945 and has since had a superlative record of achievement.

With the ? million in profits he has since made for the club he rebuilt Old Trafford, which had been badly damaged by the blitz.

He has managed three highly successful teams. The first won the 1948 FA Cup Final against Blackpool.

The second team of talented young players, known as the "Busby Babes", included Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards.

In 1958 tragedy struck when eight players were killed in an air crash at Munich after competing for the European Cup against Red Star Belgrade in Yugoslavia.

Sir Matt was seriously injured but survived, along with Charlton who said of him today: "Matt Busby's presence will always be at Manchester United. He is Manchester United."

After the Munich tragedy, Sir Matt built up his third team, which included the transfer of Denis Law from Italian side Torino for a record fee of ?16,000.

In May last year United beat Portuguese team Benfica 4-1 to win the European Cup - the first English side to do so.

In June Sir Matt was awarded a knighthood.

pyre: a funeral pile（火葬用的柴堆）