Where whole counties haven't had a single case I think they should look very hard at re-opening the footpaths Nick Brown, Agriculture Minister

His call came the day after the prime minister declared that the battle against the disease was in the "home straight", clearing the way for an expected general election on 7 June.

Easter saw a huge decline in visitor numbers to some of the countryside's top tourist areas and many businesses face financial ruin if the situation does not improve soon.

As many as 250,000 tourism jobs are still at risk because of the outbreak, according to the English Tourism Council (ETC).

With ministers anxious to see the countryside start returning to normal, Mr Brown said councils should, where possible, consider allowing walkers back on to paths which are currently closed.

"These decisions have to be made on a case-by-case basis, but where whole counties haven't had a single case I think they should look very hard at re-opening the footpaths," he told the BBC.

"We want to keep people away from farms and livestock, but I cannot believe it is necessary to keep all the footpaths closed in a county that hasn't had a single outbreak of the disease."

While Mr Brown insisted the disease was being brought under control, he acknowledged there was still an area of "intense infectivity" in Cumbria and stressed there was no room for complacency.

The ETC has said that without special aid, English tourism overall is likely to lose �5bn this year, �2.5bn next year and �1bn in 2003. It has urged the government to do more to rescue struggling businesses.

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