A TOP countryside organisation has accused a new Government department of confusing farmers over the rights of way position in the wake of the foot and mouth outbreak.

Dorothy Fairburn, regional director of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) in Yorkshire, said: "New guidance issued by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs highlights the disparity between opening up rights of way and the pressure farmers are being placed under trying to adhere to the department's own guidance."

Miss Fairburn said: "Our members are very worried about the opening of rights of way that go through livestock areas without full risk assessments. We have been fighting for common sense to prevail, and this latest guidance proves that you can't allow access where there is livestock and provide the level of protection that DEFRA insists on. It is an impossible situation".

The guidance gives details of the basic precautions to be observed in "all farms":

- It is imperative that you only allow access to your farm with prior permission

- It is strongly recommended that all visits are arranged in advance by telephone, fax or email

- Keep any visitors away from fields where susceptible livestock have been, are or will be

- If people are visiting more than one farm in a day, they should leave visits to holdings with susceptible livestock until last and that you are aware of any other visits they may have made

- Diaries should be kept recording details of all visitors, where possible noting the time of visit, which fields were entered, the route taken to the farm and fields

- Do not allow children to come on the farm unless absolutely necessary

Miss Fairburn said: "If farmers follow DEFRA advice then it will be impossible to grant access to any of their land. If access to their land is granted then the advice will be impossible to follow."

Updated: 08:58 Thursday, July 05, 2001