WE do not pretend to belittle the plight of British agriculture and the tourist industry caused by the foot-and-mouth crisis. Businesses will collapse and human misery will prevail as a direct result of it.

But there is a danger of exaggerating its potential impact on the wider national economy.

While farming may take many years to recover, we must not lose sight of the fact that it accounts for barely one per cent of our GDP.

And tourism will surely make a rapid recovery and be back to normal levels as soon as it is apparent foot-and-mouth is well and truly under control.

It is with some alarm, therefore, that we look at the latest forecast from the Confederation of British Industry, warning of economic slowdown.

However, the CBI is still forcecasting economic growth this year in the order of two per cent. With dire warnings of meltdown in the US and Japan - the world's two biggest economies - Britain's outlook is positively rosy.

Our close ties with the US economy should make us wary of the future, and heed any danger signs. As should the threat hanging over the future of thousands of jobs at Cammell Laird and Motorola.

But while the need to combat complacency tempts us look at the gloomy side of the economic equation, we must also reflect on the brighter side.

Inflation is at its lowest level for four decades, and unemployment its lowest for three decades.

While there remain concerns over the health of manufacturing and regions like ours, the overall economic picture remains one of strength.

Sir Harry Secombe

SIR Harry Secombe was a national institution. There has been no more versatile entertainer in the modern era.

He was a man who made his name as a comic genius on radio in The Goons. But, in contrast, he also had one of the finest and most recognised singing voices of his generation.

And, with his Highway television series, created in the North-East, he demonstrated his affable charm which was able to make a ratings success out of what was essentially a Sunday religious programme.

We echo the sentiments of the Prince of Wales who, on hearing of Sir Harry's death, said: "He was one of the great life-enhancers of our age and gave pleasure and constant happy laughter to so many of us throughout his life."