North Yorkshire will share in a £24 million Government handout to ease the effects of foot and mouth, it was being announced today.

But with Yorkshire rural tourism industry losing up to £75 million a month during the crisis, business and tourism chiefs warned the cash is too little, too late.

"Even with this cash, there are many businesses we will not be able to save," said Yorkshire Forward's Julie Hutton.

"Some have already gone - others are facing ruin and it may be too late for them.

"It will be nice to have this money, but we just want to get on."

The £24 million will be shared among regional development agencies nationally.

North Yorkshire will get the biggest part of Yorkshire's share because it is suffering most.

Since the epidemic began, Yorkshire has repeatedly been turned down for cash aid.

Both Yorkshire Forward and Yorkshire Tourist Board have begged for Government money to save the county's tourism economy.

But they were told their woes did not compare with those of areas like Cumbria and Devon, despite figures showing the county was losing between £60 million and £75 million each month.

"Even though we did not have as many outbreaks, we were suffering badly because of the public perception that the county was closed," said Julie Hutton.

Moors and Dales B&B occupancy dropped to below nine per cent in spring when it is normally 45 to 60 per cent of summer levels.

Yorkshire Tourist Board has so far received only £125,000 extra for short-term marketing and communications campaigns.

Twice it has been turned down for more help. Twice it has written to all the county's MPs asking them to press the Government before tourism-related businesses failed.

But the latest Settle outbreak gives the tourist board a stronger case.

It is putting together a new application, this time bypassing the English Tourism Council and going direct to HM Treasury.

"We are clutching at straws. We have had no support at all so far, but we have to keep trying," said Jo Pickering, tourist board spokesperson.

Yorkshire Forward, the tourist board and Business Link will now work from a database of desperate businesses to allocate the cash aid when it comes through.

Meanwhile, Ryedale tourism chiefs say foot and mouth is devastating rural businesses and accommodation - and it can only worsen in the light of the Settle outbreak. Steve Jaques, museum director at Eden Camp in Malton and chairman of the Ryedale Tourism Association, said: "The area has been blighted by the crisis, especially when people were told not to go to the countryside.

"Things have picked up and people are coming for day trips, which is fine for Eden Camp, but people are not staying in the area and bookings for the summer are very low.

"We need money from the government and we need it now."

The Yorkshire Museum of Farming, at Murton, near York, saw visitor numbers decline after animals had to be temporarily moved because of foot and mouth.

One lonely pony - Gully - remains to pine for his friends and to be spoiled by visitors.

York, in contrast, has been relatively busy as visitors flock to the city to avoid the countryside.

But the city's tourism industry has suffered a catalogue of setbacks - floods, the fuel crisis and rail disruptions.

Updated: 10:41 Friday, May 25, 2001