Did Massey student cause foot-and-mouth crisis?

About 550km away from the MAF authorities working on Waiheke Island, it is capping week at Massey University's Palmerston North campus and last night was the graduation ball.

But talk on the 7500-student campus was whether one of their number could be behind a letter that sparked the foot-and-mouth scare.

Iain Galloway, president of Massey University Students' Association, said capping stunts had to be approved by the organisation and there had not been a whisper of something like this.

He was at the police station yesterday seeking more information on links between the letter and the student body.

"It's very disappointing that this is happening and taking the shine off our week, but I would be really surprised if any Massey students were behind this," he said.

Massey University's origins are as an agricultural college and Mr Galloway said many were studying for careers in that sector, while many more came from rural backgrounds.

"These are people who would understand the repercussions of something like this. They would know it would be too big and just not funny."