TOURISTS are returning to the Yorkshire dales with an encouraging number of people booking to stay in the area.

Richmondshire business forum heard that bookings for self catering and bed and breakfast accommodation appeared particularly healthy.

Kate Empsall, chairman of Upper Wensleydale business association, said: "Most people are reporting a really gratifying situation. Bed and breakfast bookings are coming for weeks, not just one-nighters."

Easter and the jubilee weekend had got the season off to a good start with a huge number of visitors to the area.

The forum, which met at Richmond, congratulated the organisers of the dales festival of food and drink, which took place in Leyburn in May.

About 15,000 people attended the three-day event - three times the number anticipated - and there had been a spillover into other neighbouring areas.

Forum members reported knock-on trade for areas as far afield as Swaledale, Arkengarthdale and upper Wensleydale.

However, the negative effects of foot-and-mouth on the dales economy would not be wiped out for many years.

Councillor Yvonne Peacock said: "Although foot-and-mouth was last year and it is supposed to be over, it is not over. There is no question that there is still a lot of suffering going on in our area. Some of the recovery is extremely slow and it will take many, many years to build up."