THE authorities responsible for safeguarding some of the loveliest scenery in Britain were celebrating a major cash windfall last night.

Both the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors National Parks are to get an extra 15 per cent in Government funding next year.

Both authorities plan to use part of the cash to help rebuild their rural economies in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The news makes good a Government promise to increase grants to the National parks in the coming ten years to ensure their continued protection and management.

In the Dales, the authority's grant will grow from £3.4m in the current financial year to £3.9m, while in the Moors the figures will jump from £3.56m to £4.1m.

The chairman of the Yorkshire Dales park, Steve Macar, said: "The additional funding will mean we will be better placed to help rebuild post foot-and-mouth, and strengthen our ability to deal with additional responsibilities under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, leading to access to open countryside in 2005 or 2006."

A spokesman for the North York Moors National Park said they were "very enthused" by the Government's response to the pleas from all such parks for extra funding.

Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael said: "The importance of attracting visitors to the countryside, the economic and social benefits of that, has never been more clearly demonstrated."