A WARNING has been sounded about the possible closure of a significant number of youth hostels in England and Wales, following a dramatic fall in visitors owing to the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Wardens around the D&S Times region have echoed the warning, given by the association's chief executive, Mr Roger Clarke, as they face a summer without visitors.

Mr Euan Boyd, warden of Langdon Beck hostel in upper Teesdale, said foot-and-mouth had had a devastating effect on his trade, with bookings down 65pc and no significant sign that things were picking up. Normally he would have 60-70 booked in for the coming bank holiday weekend, but at the moment he had only two, while the hostel at Baldersdale - an area immediately affected by foot-and-mouth - had not opened to the public at all this year.

"I am concerned about the situation in Teesdale, because it is a much quieter area than, say, the Lake District and will be more difficult to attract visitors back," said Mr Boyd. "There will be longer-term implications."

Locally, he was receiving no help at all and did not qualify for any schemes on offer. Thousands of pounds had been lost, with nothing coming in. Plans at Langdon Beck had included various education packages that would have been provided free of charge as part of the association's social remit, but they would have to be scrapped because there was no funding.

A similar picture was painted by Mr Chris Harrison, who runs the hostel at Hawes with his partner Linda.

Their normal complement of visitors at this time of year ranged from 20-41 a night, yet one night this week they had only one person staying. Saturday fared better with 25, the busiest it had been for a long time. "But that was a one-off," said Mr Harrison. They usually employed two seasonal staff, but the only way one could remain employed was by popping between different hostels as and when bookings materialised.

Mr Duncan Simpson, the YHA's corporate affairs manager, said he anticipated a loss of £5m in their £30m income this year and as a charity it had no other resources to carry it forward. Although Mr Clarke had been sounding a warning, no hostels had yet been identified for closure and no actual numbers mentioned.

It had put out an appeal to members in July, which had resulted in £190,000 being raised. While that was a magnificent sum, it remained a drop in the ocean. But there was one positive note, a new hostel had recently opened at Kielder and was proving very popular.

Mr Clarke said that hostels might have to be sold where it hurt, places which were popular and doing well. But the charity had no alternative unless there was assistance from government, which he did not foresee at the moment. "We have plenty of sympathy, but no practical help of any great significance," he added. Because of its charitable status, the YHA had been unable to benefit from rate relief for businesses affected by foot-and-mouth, and was turned down for government match funding for victims of the epidemic.

Rural affairs minister Mr Alun Michael, a former vice-president of the YHA, had promised to look at the problem, but was unable to offer Mr Clarke any immediate promise of help.

But he acknowledged there were anomalies in government handouts that had left the association without the support it might otherwise have expected.

And it is not just youth hostels suffering the knock-on effects of foot-and-mouth.

Two hotels in Teesdale have dropped the asking prices for their premises as a result of a loss in trade. The Fox and Hounds at Cotherstone, which was put on the market in the spring of 2000 for £350,000, is now advertised at £275,000. Landlord Mr Michael Carlisle said foot-and-mouth had devastated everyone, with the drop in price reflected in the drop in trade at the 200-year-old former coaching inn.

Up the road at Middleton in Teesdale, Dieter and Audrey Streit have brought down the price of the Teesdale Hotel from £415,000 to £385,000, in the hope of a quicker sale. Mrs Streit told the D&S Times that on a normal week in August she could hope to have most of the 12 letting bedrooms full, but on one night this week had had only two people staying.

The hotel had a good reputation, was well appointed and had attracted a number of interested buyers. "But who wants to buy a hotel that nobody is visiting?" she added.

She echoed Mr Boyd's thoughts that it would be difficult to win back tourists who had gone elsewhere this year. Some shops in Middleton had been closing at 4pm owing to lack of trade; everyone was suffering.