THE Church is taking steps to help in the rural parishes where the foot-and-mouth crisis is hitting people hard.

Clergy in the Ripon diocese, which includes most of the Yorkshire Dales, are being sent letters containing practical advice on offering help to farming communities.

Meanwhile, two planned licensing ceremonies for incoming priests are being switched to different churches to avoid large services in churches close to farm land.

The licensing on Monday of the Reverend Stanley Howarth, new priest-in-charge of Forcett, Aldborough and Melsonby is being switched from Forcett to Melsonby.

And the March 16 licensing of the Reverend Bob Miles, new priest for Wensley with West Witton, is switched to Leyburn