A MOORLAND community is bracing itself for the loss of all its livestock as the foot-and-mouth crisis continued to take its toll this week.

Two new outbreaks were confirmed at Lealholm, near Whitby, bringing the total number of cases in the area to 94. Fear that the situation could get even worse is now gripping the Esk Valley.

A spokesman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the outbreak seemed to be confined to the Lealholm area and that was good.

But the North York Moors national park is sticking to its tough line on the reopening of paths and other areas.

The authority is making moves for the moors to be exempt from a scheme to overturn blanket closure orders.

Livestock at more than 20 farms around the villages of Lealholm and Houlsyke have now been slaughtered.

Coun Herbert Tindall, vice-chairman of the national park authority, said: "Many people are very, very worried.

"Many of the farmers affected are young and we hope they will start up again as they are the lifeblood of the Esk Valley.

"We have to plan for the long term; we need them for the sake of the moors and our economy."

The most recent cases around Lealholm have been at High Park Farm, Mount Pleasant Farm and Mill Lane Farm on Monday, and at Stonecroft Farm at Low Wood on Wednesday.

Some 1,100 sheep and 330 cattle have been slaughtered, along with stock at neighbouring farms where there were suspicions of risk.

Mill Lane farmer Mr Robert Adamski said: "Everybody is feeling down. The village is empty and morale is low."

The Defra spokesman said: "We have not taken every animal in the Lealholm area, but it is getting that way."

She said two or three farms were under suspicion and awaiting test results.

"If these come back positive the animals will have to go," she said.

The spokesman said sheep on the moors were likely to stay.

"So there is some livestock in the area," she said. "We are crossing our fingers that the disease is not being taken out of the area. It seems to be fairly contained."

Mr John Whiteley, chairman of the local branch of the NFU, said farmers were going through personal trauma.

"We are waiting with baited breath," he said. "The entire area is on tenterhooks fearing more outbreaks."

Mr Peter Barfoot, head of the national park's advisory service, said it would be premature to think about re-opening all paths.

"Our big concern is the moorland area," he said. "We do have an increase in the number of cases within the park."

He said a move by Defra to rescind an order to maintain blanket closures was being contested through North Yorkshire County Council in respect of the authority's central area.

"Everyone is on a knife edge," he said. "It seems as though the pressures are lifting in other parts of the country and yet are increasing here."

Mr Barfoot said all paths which had been risk assessed and were free of livestock would stay open and that people were free to walk in those areas.

l Ash 'just passing through', protestors told: page 3.

l Vet's plea for footpaths rethink: page 19.