A MOBILE business advisory service has begun touring market towns in North Yorkshire.

The trailer, staffed by a team of specialist advisers, aims to help businesses hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

It was unveiled in Thirsk market place on Monday and one of the first to take advantage of the free service was Mr Tim Swales from Osmotherley whose garage was badly hit by the crisis, forcing him to take drastic steps to save the 30-year-old business.

"Last year farmers were not allowed to take vehicles off their land so we lost all that business," he said, "To see us through we bought vans and cars and hired them out."

Fortunately he did not have to lay off any of his seven staff, even though the garage no longer opens every day of the week.

"Our forward planning helped us and that is what this service provides," said Mr Swales. "There is a lot of expert advice on hand to help businesses survive."

Mr Peter Pybus, an agricultural seed merchant from Thornton-le-Moor, managed to ride out the crisis when trade began to pick up at the end of last year, but he said it had been a dreadful time with people at a very low ebb.

"There was just no money coming into the community," he said, "The shops and B and Bs were doing nothing and this had a knock-on effect with the local tradespeople such as painters and joiners.

"Now the footpaths are open again I think we've turned the corner, but a lot of businesses are still in trouble."

Mr Pybus believed the unit was invaluable, particularly for the self-employed who did not always have the time to go out looking for advice and help.

"A ten-minute chat with the advisers can answer a lot of questions on how to survive and take a business forward," he said.

The mobile service is operated by the Federation of Small Businesses in partnership with Business Link York and North Yorkshire, supported by a number of advisory bodies.

It has received financial support from Yorkshire Forward's rural economic recovery fund.

The six-month, £75,000 tour also features the Inland Revenue business support team, accountants from Garbutt and Elliott and representatives from York business college.

Mr Tony Cherry, FSB Yorkshire and Humber policy chairman, said advisers were there to help both established and new businesses tackle financial issues, marketing, computer systems and e-commerce.

"We have been delighted with the initial response," he said. "We will have achieved something if we manage to keep some of these people trading.

"Already a lot of businesses have taken up offers of government support packages. Our aim is to lead the way to permanent recovery."

Itinerary. - The roadshow is in Easingwold market place today; Bedale market place on Tuesday; Northallerton market on Wednesday; Richmond market place on Friday.

Hawes market place on Tuesday, January 22; Leyburn market place on Friday, January 25; Thirsk market place on Monday, January 28; Northallerton market place on Wednesday, January 30.

Easingwold market place on Friday, February 1.

All venues operate from 10am until 3pm.

Later in February the caravan will visit market towns in Ryedale and on the east coast and in March it will visit the York and Harrogate area, including Skipton, Reeth, Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge