RICHMONDSHIRE could be among the last areas to see foot-and-mouth restrictions lifted, an official at the centre of handling the crisis has said.

Mr Robin Mair, a North Yorkshire County Council trading standards officer, predicted new cases would continue to appear until mid-June, probably at the rate of less than five a day.

Based on scientific advisers' figures, restrictions could remain in place in the northern Yorkshire dales until September.

Mr Mair, who addressed Richmondshire foot and mouth disease working group on Monday, said the district's proximity to the Cumbrian virus hotspot meant it would be "at the back end of the lifting of restrictions."

"There has to be at least 30 days between the last case and even thinking of lifting restrictions, so that could mean them continuing until September," he said.

Richmondshire, which had 15 cases, had so far seen an estimated 25,000 animals slaughtered, half on infected farms and the others deemed contiguous or dangerous contact.

Mr Mair said the trading standards department had issued 8,500 animal movement licences across the county and had handled 76,000 calls at its FMD call centre since February.

Trading standards and police had launched joint patrols to check livestock vehicles and a full-time officer had been seconded to MAFF's regional office at Leeds to liaise with the ministry and the army.

Trading standards also oversaw the closure of North Yorkshire's 15,000 kilometres of public footpaths and had installed 150 disinfectant mats, mainly on roads to moorland and common land where sheep and cattle grazed freely.

The mats were positioned in partnership with farmers and landowners, whose responsibility it was to ensure they were topped up with disinfectant, which trading standards provided.

Tourism. - The tourism industry in Richmondshire continued to be disastrously affected by the crisis. Mrs Pam Whittaker, tourism officer, reported tourist information centres at Richmond and Leyburn were taking the amount of bookings every week that they would expect to take daily at this time of the year.

There were plans to issue vouchers and coupons to entitle visitors to discounted entry to attractions in the area and the Yorkshire dales joint promotions initiative, of which the council was a member, had put £6,000 into the Yorkshire tourist board's advertising campaign to attract people back to the region.

Rejuvenate. - Rejuvenate, a group of farmers, businesses and councillors set up to help the upper dales through the crisis, has applied for £2,500 from the North Yorkshire FMD fund. The cash would go towards a £5,000 project to continue a telephone helpline until the end of 2002, produce regular newsletters for the farming industry, create a website and provide speakers and venues for meetings and information sessions.

Pyres. - The district council was to be consulted in future on the siting of pyres to burn slaughtered livestock. Environment officer Mr Sean Little told the meeting the authority had not been consulted on preparation of the fires in the past but would now be included in the process via the health authority.

l THE Ministry of Agriculture was branded disgusting and unspeakable for refusing to send an official to update Richmondshire con the foot and mouth crisis and answer concerns.

The authority's foot and mouth disease working group had asked the MAFF regional office at Leeds to send a representative to its meeting in Richmond on Monday to report on the handling of the crisis in the district.

However, a letter from the ministry, read to the meeting by council chief executive Mr Harry Tabiner, explained it would be "inappropriate" to attend because the working party was a "political committee."

Members, who established the group to consider the effects of the outbreak on the district and provide information to farmers, businesses and others, were enraged at the snub.

Coun John Blackie, council leader, said: "I am absolutely disgusted that there isn't a MAFF representative here. It is an utter disgrace."