NORTH Yorkshire's footpaths are amongst the worst in England, according to a survey published by the Countryside Agency.

Only 22 per cent of the county's paths were found to be "easy to follow" compared to a national average of 62 per cent.

The stiles and gates on North Yorkshire's rights of way were the worst in England and 3,293 of the county's stiles need attention and 921 are "unstable".

The county fared better in its provision of signposts for paths, but its figure of 62 per cent was still below the national average of 67 per cent.

The Ramblers' Association is campaigning for North Yorkshire County Council to increase its rights of way budget by £200,000 in each of the next three years, and to double the number of its footpath staff from eight to sixteen.

Keith Wadd, Ramblers' Association spokesman, said: "The results of the Countryside Agency survey confirm what we have been saying for several years about the poor state of North Yorkshire's footpaths.

"To get them into good condition would be an asset for the healthy recreation of all who live in the county, and it would also boost tourism."

The criticism follows a determined campaign by the Ramblers' Association, including a mass rally by 1,500 ramblers in the county 18 months ago.

The county council said it was working hard to meet the demands of the Ramblers' Association within limited resources. It has increased footpath workers from eight to 16 and the provisional budget for next year includes an additional £200,000.

Tony Webster, spokesman for the council, said: "We have worked extensively with parish councils around the county to improve schemes and the more people work with us the further the money will go.

"We are doing our best with limited resources, but foot and mouth has not helped this year. The improvements are obviously going to take time."

Nearly all the county's paths which were closed because of foot and mouth disease have been reopened.

Most of the paths in the Skipton, Grassington, Settle, Upper Wensleydale and Thirsk areas were reopened this month, but paths crossing farmyards or farm buildings directly affected by the outbreak remain closed.

Updated: 08:39 Wednesday, January 02, 2002