THOUSANDS of holidaymakers made an Easter getaway to sunnier climes yesterday as tourist attractions across Britain battled to pull in the crowds.

Poor weather and the continuing foot-and-mouth crisis were believed to be responsible for sending record numbers to the Mediterranean sunspots.

And despite the Government's assurances that many rural places were still open as usual, many people seemed unsure about visiting the countryside.

Moderate numbers of trippers were reported in rural parts of the region, with areas particularly hit by foot-and-mouth receiving a wide birth.

Many flocked to the North Yorkshire coast or opted to visit the main attractions and towns.

Up to 1.5 million passengers are expected to depart from UK airports during the holiday period.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Nick Brown was last night contemplating a limited vaccination programme to combat foot-and-mouth disease as the backlog of dead animals continued to grow.

The daily average for confirmed cases fell by a quarter last week, but Mr Brown said the Government was struggling to hit slaughter targets. Figures estimate 408,000 animals remain to be culled.

The number of new cases rose to 1,269 yesterday - with just one in the region. The disease was confirmed in cattle at Manor House, Tunstall, near Richmond, North Yorkshire.

New figures showed that, in the week ending April 8, there was an average of 32 new cases each day, compared with 43 the previous week.

For people relying on the tourist trade in more remote parts of the North-East and North Yorkshire, the future remains bleak.

Brian Hutchinson, who runs the King's Head, in St John's Chapel, Weardale, said he will close for good on Tuesday.

He said: "There's not a soul in today - it's just dead. We've had no visitors in for six weeks. We just can't take any more."

In Teesdale, it was a similar story at the High Force Hotel, which has suffered a 90 per cent drop in trade.

Landlord Gary Wilson said: "Things are just dead. We might as well write off this year already."

The first figures showing the impact of the crisis on small rural businesses shows 40 per cent have been badly affected.

The report, by the Centre for Rural Economy at Newcastle University, says almost a third had suffered a ten per cent cut in turnover and a fifth had been forced to lay off workers.

But attractions along the North Yorkshire coast continued to benefit from the holiday exodus.

Staff at Scarborough Castle said the attraction had enjoyed a 91.5 per cent increase in visitors on last year.

The ruins of Whitby Abbey, where the flight of steps has reopened after closing at the start of the crisis, attracted 2,000 visitors in the first week of the tourist season - 40 per cent up on last year.

The MetroCentre in Gateshead reported brisk trading, while Beamish Museum, in County Durham, said it welcomed 3,000 people.

But traders in Hawes, North Yorkshire, said they were still suffering from the effects of the crisis.

Janet Chapman, of the Wensleydale Creamery, said: "It has been a lot quieter than it is in most years."

Read more about foot-and-mouth here.