THE foot-and-mouth virus tightened its grip on the North-East as the number of cases in the latest disturbing outbreak rose to eleven.

Farmers' worst fears over a fresh hot spot were confirmed in Northumberland yesterday, where five more cases were confirmed last night in Allendale.

The farms are all within the 'Blue Box' zone, an area straggling the County Durham border, subject to strict control measures.

Experts are still trying to pinpoint the source of the new outbreak but have ruled out any links with Hexham market, used as a collection point for animals to be taken for slaughter.

Divisional veterinary manager Arthur Griffiths said: "We are still looking for the source but are not looking at Hexham Market.

"It is very much like a CID operation where you get information coming in and you investigate it."

He said it was "very disappointing" that they had another confirmed case, but could not rule out the possibility of more to come.

A possible case of foot-and-mouth at a farm near Hamsterley Forest in County Durham has still not been confirmed. Animals are being re-tested following a positive result.

Director of the disease emergency control centre in Newcastle, Keith Raine, said people should only enter the 'Blue Box' zone on legitimate business. It stretches from just south of Hexham to Westgate in Weardale, County Durham. The new outbreaks were confirmed at: fields at Broadwood Hall, Allendale; Newton Lea Farm, Catton; Bulls Hill, Allendale; allotment field, Catton and Low Mill, Allendale.

A further three cases were also confirmed in Cumbria yesterday at Great Asby, near Penrith, Kirkby Stephen and Appleby.

For The Hemmel caf in Allenheads, the timing was devastating.

Proprieter Beryle Stoker only opened her caf in the village three days before the first outbreak, on February 17 and on Bank Holiday Monday the premises were again empty.

To add to the misery, Beryl had to sleep in the caf because she is a tenant in a farm house and has been asked by her farming landlords to stay away. She said: "It should have been heaving in here and I've hardly had any customers at all. I'm devastated and absolutely fed-up.

"Visitors were just starting to come back and I thought I might get a little business going. It's not just me suffering. There's the village pub the Allenheads Inn and the Post Office."

Outside the Blue Box zone, tourist attractions were unaffected and Bank Holiday crowds turned out in force.

Killhope, North of England Lead Mining Museum near Wearhead said visitor numbers had exceeded their expectations and they were very busy, despite only being the other side of the road from the exclusion zone boundary.

Hexham Tourist Office and Durham City Tourist Office both said they had been receiving calls from people wanting to know which areas were affected, but had not seen a drop in visitor numbers.

Read more about the foot-and-mouth crisis here.