THE decision by the Cabinet yesterday to suspend the selective beef cull came only hours after a fresh appeal from the Brussels Commission not to change the plans agreed at the Florence summit.

Commission officials insisted the selective cull was itself part of the framework agreement which the Prime Minister signed up to with his EU colleagues.

They argued that any change in the selective cull would fly in the face of the deal designed to clear the way for a step-by-step lifting of the worldwide ban on British beef exports.

On Wednesday night, the Commission, under pressure from the UK's senior European commissioner Sir Leon Brittan, agreed to study once more the latest scientific evidence submitted by the Government - but hopes that the gesture would avoid a change of heart by Mr Major have been dashed by the outcome of the Cabinet discussions.

Now the mood is bound to be soured for the next meeting of EU farm Ministers which Agriculture Minister Douglas Hogg will attend in Ireland, at the weekend.

Mr Hogg's EU counterparts expressed their irritation when they met in Brussels on Monday at the Government's efforts to alter the terms of the Florence Accord.

Mr Hogg himself will explain the Government's strategy to his colleagues when he goes to Ireland and will try to persuade the others that the Government is not tearing up the Florence deal - just delaying the cull until all current scientific evidence has been fully assessed.

Tory Paul Marland, MP for rural Gloucestershire West - who has been a vocal critic of the mass cull - said last night: ``I am very pleased to hear this decision. I'm sure I am not the only MP who will welcome it.''

However, former Tory Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath said on BBC2's Newsnight: ``It will be interpreted widely that the British Government reached an agreement at Florence and has now overthrown that agreement unilaterally. ``That is very bad for us because it destroys all trust in the British word.''

Labour Agriculture spokesman Gavin Strang said that any selective slaughter programme be directed quickly and in consultation with the European Commission.

He said continued uncertainty would damage the beef industry.

Ministers yesterday did not reach a decision on limiting meat imports to the UK.

Both Tory back benchers and some Cabinet members are gloomy about the prospects of either the European Commission or other EU member states softening their stance on British beef.

It means some kind of backlash against imported beef would be likely to strike a chord among disgruntled Conservatives.

A European Commission spokesman yesterday confirmed it would be examining the new scientific evidence from Britain, but said it was unlikely that the export ban could be lifted within months.

EC officials are privately furious at reports yesterday that they were planning a U-turn on Britain's selective slaughter plans.

It had been suggested that a reversal of EU policy was on the cards after Sir Leon Brittan had intervened to seek detailed European appraisal of the scientific study published in Nature magazine.

Sir Leon earlier had let it be known that he had taken the initiative in a bid to find a compromise between the Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture by drawing attention to the study.

However, last night it was disclosed that the study in fact had been submitted by the UK to the EU's scientific and veterinary committee two weeks ago.

Last night, observers in Brussels concluded that British Ministers had long ago accepted that the study would make little impression on EU scientists.

Earlier, Mr Andrew Dingwall-Fordyce, acting convener of the Scottish Landowners' Federation, said the federation was appalled at any possibility of the Government abandoning the accelerated cull.

``It is imperative that every step is taken to get the export ban lifted,'' he said.

In a letter to Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth, the federation said Ministers should consider the recurrent cost of supporting the beef industry for years to come if the export ban was not lifted.

Scotland would suffer unprecedented damage to the economic, social and environmental fabric of its livestock-rearing areas.

Prince's farming plea11