ONE of the region's best known hotels is to close for three days a week because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The High Force Hotel, at Forest-in-Teesdale - normally swarming with tourists at this time of year - has seen a 90 per cent slump in bookings since the crisis began two months ago.

Although the measure is among the most drastic taken in the industry, other rural pubs and hotels say they may never recover.

Gary Wilson and Shauna Harrison, owners of the High Force Hotel, have decided to close on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the next fortnight.

Mr Wilson, 47, who took on the hotel in April 1998, said: "It's just not viable to open it fully at the moment.

"High Force waterfall is closed, the footpaths are closed, and we had no bookings over Easter, and none planned for the May bank holiday.

"To be frank, we may be forced to call it a day if it continues, and it does not help that we are ignored and forgotten, just left to fend for ourselves."

The Teesdale Hotel, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, has reported a 50 per cent drop in bookings, with none planned for May.

Caravan sites have also suffered. Ralph Dunn, of the Daleview Caravan Park, in Teesdale, said: "We have only had four people stay in the last few weeks, and we even had to evict them because they were too rowdy. It's pretty desperate."

Richard Slade, chairman of the British Institute of Innkeeping for the North-East, said: "Undoubtedly there will be places that will be unable to open when the crisis ends, and we are pushing for a greater awareness from the Government to the plight of rural pubs and hotels."