A farmer who admitted breaking laws designed to stop the spread of BSE told a court the system had let her down.

Henrica Scheffers, who is £18,000 in debt, said she got completely lost in regulations about BSE and foot and mouth, and had no money to pay a fine.

Miss Scheffers, 42, of Wadley Manor Stables, Faringdon, pleaded guilty at Wantage Magistrates' Court to four counts of breaking cattle identification reg- ulations.

Fining her £2,000 plus £600 costs, magistrate Jenny Williams said: "In the atmosphere of the BSE crisis and foot and mouth, it's important there should be enforcement of the registration of cattle for the farmers, not only for their interests but also for the consumer."

Tom Edwards, of Oxfordshire's trading standards department, said that out of 29 cattle rounded up by inspectors on Miss Scheffers's farm, 11 did not have ear tags.

She had also held onto passports for animals that had died as long ago as 1998.

"It does appear she had got into some difficulty with the management of the herd and certainly the administration," he said.

"Animal health inspectors have subsequently provided assistance to Miss Scheffers to help her get back on track."

Miss Scheffers said: "I couldn't do other than plead guilty, but I still feel that it's not entirely my own doing because I contacted MAFF (the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) on numerous occasions.

"I can only say that I really did get lost in the system and I feel the system let me down."