THE shooting season has cautiously resumed in parts of Teesdale amid fears that hundreds of thousands of pounds has been lost in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Bowes Moor, which managed only two days' shooting in August before its licence was rescinded due to the proximity of foot-and-mouth outbreaks just over the Cumbrian border, will resume on Tuesday after receiving the go-ahead from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs yesterday.

A Defra spokesman confirmed that there had been no outbreaks of FMD in Cumbria for the past 12 days and, providing the situation remained the same, the 10km exclusion zone, which took in many drives on the moor, would be lifted.

Gamekeeper Mr Mike Ainsley begins grouse shooting on Scargill Moor today, having refrained from shooting earlier in the season out of concern for nearby farmers.

"Obviously the welfare of our neighbours is our prime concern, but I have to say that the moor has the best show of birds for a number of years," he said.

But the picture remains less rosy for other parts of the North-East as the British Association for Shooting and Conservation handles a flood of inquiries from concerned shoots, clubs and syndicates.

Mr Phillip Pugh, northern regional director for BASC, said: "We are busier than we have ever been as we try to deal with a growing number of calls about FMD restrictions and regulations. Many shoots face a complete wipe-out of their invested capital and expected income."

He stressed that no-one in the shooting community wanted to see FMD spread any further, and he urged those who were being allowed to shoot to follow Defra guidelines and regulations, making sure biosecurity procedures were followed.

Although he confirmed that northern shoots were likely to have lost hundreds of thousands of pounds, BASC understood there might be a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

"Extensive blood testing is being carried out among remaining stock in several areas, and it is hoped restrictions can be eased in places if the results are good," he added.

Those wishing further information on BASC can access the web site at www.basc.org.uk