TOURISM bosses fear that delays in reopening footpaths could put the North-East at a disadvantage in bouncing back from the foot-and-mouth crisis.

A decision to reopen paths in a further 16 local authority areas over the weekend means many parts of the UK can now boast widespread access to the countryside.

But the dangers of sporadic outbreaks of the disease has forced many paths in the North-East and North Yorkshire to remain closed, prompting fears tourists might forsake the region and get into the habit of holidaying elsewhere.

Latest Countryside Agency figures show just 36 per cent of paths in Durham are open, three per cent in the North York Moors, five per cent in the Yorkshire Dales and 20 per cent in the rest of North Yorkshire.

And many of the paths open in Durham are in the east of the county, less well-provided with tourist hot-spots.

In the Derbyshire Peak District 90 per cent of paths are open, and even in the Exmoor National Park in Devon, one of the worst-hit counties, 75 per cent of rights of way are passable.

Richard Spencer, head of marketing for Northumbria County Council, said lack of walking opportunities meant some visitors who would normally head for the North-East had been forced to change their plans.

He said: "Once you lose a customer it is going to be doubly difficult to win them back again.

"If footpaths are slow to open in our region that may impair some of the recovery for tourism, because people still want that option of whether to go for a walk, even if they don't take it up."

He said the board's research suggested visitors saw their expectations exceeded when they came to the North-East, but it would still require substantial work to persuade them to come back next year.

"We have to strike a balance between getting these things open and making sure foot-and-mouth doesn't reoccur" he said.

"We were first into this problem and we genuinely don't want to be the last one out."

A Yorkshire Tourist Board spokeswoman said: "Obviously we would prefer all the paths to be open if it is safe to do so, but there are alternatives if people cannot go to specific areas."

Updated: 13.30 Tuesday, July 24