Peter Innes from Black Forest Station and his friend Phillip Mackay admitted on TV tonight of spreading RHD. Apparently, they got their hands on some infected rabbit material, (they never mentioned where). then they went out and caught a few rabbits, put them in pens and and injected them with this RHD cocktail. The rabbits died, but just to make sure it was RHD they caught more rabbits and put them in the pens with the dead one's, these rabbits in turn died. So these two bright boy's as well as taking the dead rabbits and dispersing them around a few farms, also made up RHD baits and spread them around as well.

They also said RHD mixes well with oats. So it sounds as if they have been pretty busy.There is no penalty for spreading the disease, so these two won't be prosecuted. MAF have taken the road blocks away from around Cromwell and there is talk of possibly quarantining the whole of the South Island, that's if RHD has not spread in the North Island. Winston Peters believes the orginal dispersment of RHD could have been carried out by helicopter. RHD has been confirmed in the Maniototo and MaKenzie Country.