A PROJECT established to help rejuvenate the region's rural economy shattered by the foot-and-mouth epidemic has been hailed a success.

Newcastle University's New Rural Economy Project (NREC) was set up in the wake of the crisis in 2001, to provide the region with skilled employees for rural enterprise.

More than 80 per cent of students who have completed the course have since found jobs in North-East, countryside-related businesses and organisations.

An independent study by European Economic Development Services Limited has congratulated NREC for its contribution to regional graduate retention and for helping to improve the health of the countryside economy in County Durham and Northumberland.

It states that the university's Centre for Rural Economy, which runs NREC, is "at the heart of rural economic regeneration in the region and beyond".

Funding was provided by the regional development agency, One NorthEast, the Northern Rock Foundation, and Northumberland and Durham County Councils.

Margaret Fay, One NorthEast chairman, said: "By giving young people hands on projects to work on in rural firms, the scheme has not only helped these businesses to tackle a real issue, but has also given students valuable experience that reinforces their learning."

Twelve of the 14 students who completed the training have found jobs in the North-East, including posts at the regional offices of the Countryside Agency and Environment Agency, and the Heritage Lottery Fund.