SENIOR figures at an influential national park authority have launched a stinging attack on the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Just days after the all-clear was sounded in the region after a new disease scare, the North York Moors National Authority published its heavily critical response to questions which will be considered at a forthcoming inquiry.

Park bosses claimed that their efforts to contain the epidemic were blighted by a major lack of communication between Government officials and those on the ground.

They said the transmission of information to farmers and the public was poor and that public helpline operators "appeared to be sadly lacking in key information".

A report by the authority's senior officers said: "Prompt and accurate guidance on the issue of footpath opening and closing could have prevented considerable distress.

"Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) data management systems were poor, resulting in difficulties in extracting and communicating relevant data and enabling swift responses to the changing circumstances. At a local level, there was a lack of clear and simple information and this probably contributed to the generations of rumours."

The first confirmed case of foot-and-mouth on the North York Moors was at Ashes Farm, Whitby, on April 6. A total of 22 premises in the national park were infected and animals on a further 82 farms were slaughtered.

Early in the outbreak, the ministry developed a contingency plan for restricting the culling of sheep flocks on open moorland, at the request of the Black Face Sheep Breeders' Association