A TOTAL of 123 farms in Richmondshire have been wiped out by foot-and-mouth disease.

The figure was brought to the district's special working group to illustrate how deeply the crisis was biting into the local economy.

Eleven holdings had the disease confirmed; the remainder had stock slaughtered in attempts to contain the virus.

"It would take only two or three more outbreaks in Wensleydale and farming would be wiped out," Coun Richard Dunn told the working group meeting on Wednesday.

The district also stood to lose an estimated £8.5m in tourism alone by the end of this month as a result of the disease.

Most tourist-related businesses reported an 80pc drop in trade, with accommodation providers among the worst hit.

The working group agreed to ask the resources committee to waive the 10pc commission the council takes for beds booked through its tourist information centres.

Coun James Kendall praised the responsible way in which visitors to Swaledale had behaved during the crisis.

The group also expressed its concern about the mental pressures of the crisis on rural dwellers, particularly on the children of farming families.

The meeting heard that Askrigg youth club numbers were down from about 40 to 25 and normally enthusiastic members were very downbeat.

A report from senior youth worker Mr Bob Stirling said an unprecedented number of new young smokers had also been noted and, while it was impossible to say foot-and-mouth was the cause, it was obvious that at least some youngsters put the habit down to the stress of the crisis.

Many members were showing classic early signs of depression and could not raise any enthusiasm or zest for taking part in activities.

Two new cases were confirmed in Richmondshire in the last week.

More than 3,000 animals were slaughtered at Manor House farm, Tunstall, near Richmond, after the virus was confirmed on Good Friday in a previously unaffected area.

The carcases of the 2,101 sheep, 738 cattle and 467 pigs were burned and livestock at 26 neighbouring holdings was culled.

On Monday, 827 sheep, 600 lambs and 98 cattle were slaughtered after a MAFF vet suspected the disease had broken out at Brough Hill farm, Bainbridge, near Hawes. Foot-and-mouth was confirmed there the following day and the slaughter of neighbouring flocks and herds began.

Coun John Blackie, Richmondshire District Council leader and North Yorkshire county councillor for the upper dales, said the mood was "very sombre" in Wensleydale, which has a number of cases between Hawes and Bellerby, near Leyburn.

It was vital to take all precautions to stop the virus spreading to as yet uninfected areas such as Swaledale, Arkengarthdale, Coverdale and Bishopdale, he said.

The crisis has also meant a slow start for the new warden at Marrick Priory Christian outdoor pursuits centre in Swaledale.

Mr Jim Gleave, aged 35, took over the centre this year after moving with his teacher wife, Sarah, from Nottingham, where he worked in fostering and adoption.

The centre closed in early March after confirmation of the first foot-and-mouth case in Wensleydale. Mr Gleave is now spending the traditionally busy spring season carrying out maintenance and visiting schools and churches in the Ripon and Leeds diocese.

Richmondshire District Council is to suspend grass cutting in some parishes to lessen the risk of spreading the disease.