THE Government is facing growing defiance over its plans to reopen public rights of way closed during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The National Trust is defying orders to reopen paths through a deer park in North Yorkshire - amid fears that the disease is still spreading.

Another three cases of foot-and-mouth were confirmed in the county during the past few days.

Two cases were confirmed on Friday in the Thirsk area, at Moorhouse Farm in Felixkirk Road, and at Marderby Hall at Abbotts Close Farm, in Sutton Road.

A third case was confirmed at Greenhills Farm, at West Barnby, near Whitby, on Saturday taking the total number of cases in the county to 125.

The National Trust wants to protect the 400-year-old herd of deer at Studley Royal Deer Park, next to Fountains Abbey, near Ripon.

Orders were issued by the Government that footpaths through the park should be opened on Friday, but the gates remained closed, because the National Trust is appealing to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to keep them shut.

The trust has urged North Yorkshire County Council to use whatever powers it has to keep the public rights of way closed until the foot-and-mouth crisis is over in the area, in a bid to protect the 500-strong herd of deer.

Councillor Heather Garnett has urged Defra to think again. "This is a much visited site and this valuable herd is being put at unnecessary risk," she said.

Farmers are also concerned about paths being opened on their land. Howard Metcalfe, from Healaugh, near Reeth, felt that opening the rights of way could result in foot-and-mouth being spread to Swaledale, which has so far had no outbreaks of the disease.

He said that green notices had been put up to indicate that the paths were open, but only if there was no livestock on the land.

However, he said that this was in the small print and some people would not read the notices properly.

"It's straightforward enough. It says people shouldn't enter land with livestock on it, but I don't think a lot of people will read it. They'll see the green sign and just assume it's open," he said