LONDON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Tests for a suspected case of foot and mouth disease at a farm in central England have proved negative and controls on animal movements in the area have been lifted, the British government said on Thursday.

A "temporary control zone" was set up around a farm at Solihull, near Birmingham, on Wednesday after animals displayed possible symptoms of foot and mouth.

But a spokeswoman for the agriculture ministry said the tests were negative and the restrictions on animal movements had now been lifted.

Five farms in southern England have been infected with foot and mouth since August but the disease has not so far been found outside that area. Solihull is about 100 miles (160 km) away from the region where infection was found.

Foot and mouth is a highly contagious disease that spreads easily on the wind. It can cause animals to foam at the mouth and collapse.

Britain suffered a crippling outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2001 when more than 6 million animals had to be culled. The outbreak hit agriculture and tourism hard, costing the economy an estimated 8.5 billion pounds ($17.14 billion).

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