RURAL jobs were yesterday said to be at risk as the region's farmers adopt a "siege mentality" during foot-and-mouth restrictions.

The ban on autumn sales has robbed many of their incomes - £2m was missed from a cancelled two-day sale at Hawes in North Yorkshire this week.

Many other rural businesses are now said to be feeling the pinch as farmers cut back spending to only the absolute essentials.

Dorothy Fairburn, Yorkshire regional director of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said: "Merchants, contractors, hauliers, engineers and everyone else who supports, and are supported by, farmers are entering an open-ended crisis.

"Businesses and jobs - often the only available in some rural areas - are now at risk."

Angus Collingwood-Cameron, North-East director of the CLA, said merchants and suppliers had traditionally done what they could to support their customers in tight times.

Many had extended credit terms when farmers were kept waiting for their Single Farm payment last year, knowing they would be able to meet the bill at the end of the day.

But, he said: "It is even more serious this time as there is no fixed payment at the end of the problem."

He said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) had no right to expect businesses to underpin the industry.

The recent relaxation allowing sale-to-slaughter markets was of no benefit to those producing store, replacement, or breeding stock.

Mr Collingwood-Cameron said: "The onset of true autumn weather means extra feed has to be bought and, with no indication of when animals can be sold - or if they will have any value at that time - chequebooks are being put away for all but essential purchases."

He urged Defra to announce when marts could re-open fully as soon as it is safe.

Defra yesterday announced some further specific tightly controlled movement relaxations.

Licences are now available to allow pigs to be moved for welfare reasons, and the movement of animals up to 3km (1.8 miles) or cows for calving up to 50km (31 miles) between premises belonging to the same owner.

Laboratory results on the fifth outbreak in Surrey yesterday confirmed it was the same strain as the others.

Tests on a suspected case near Birmingham International Airport were still awaited.

The original outbreak has been blamed on the virus escaping from leaking pipes at a Government laboratory site.