ALMOST all of North Yorkshire's footpaths will soon be reopened under a Government order.

County councillor Mike Knaggs told a meeting of its Ryedale area committee that the only exception would be where there were live cases of foot and mouth.

But, said fellow councillor David Lloyd-Williams, signs could be put up asking walkers not to go on the land.

Coun Lloyd-Williams said: "The National Park, county council, parish councils and land owners could put up advisory signs asking the public to respect the wishes of the local users of the land and not to come on to the footpath."

The situation was unsatisfactory, said Coun Murray Naylor.

David Sayer, of the county council's foot and mouth helpdesk, confirmed there was a lot of pressure on the council from the Government to reopen many of the county's footpaths.

"Most footpaths will be reopened by July 20 but we have until Friday to apply for exemptions, which means not all will be reopened," he said.

Mike Pratt, head of information for the North York Moors National Park, said only about 15 per cent of paths on the moors would be opened.

But Robert Hicks, NFU Malton branch secretary, said: "It seems crazy that at the start of the crisis when the disease was nowhere near North Yorkshire, all footpaths were closed.

"Now it is lapping at our doorsteps they are planning to reopen them."

Steve Jacques, chairman of the Ryedale Tourism Association, said it was vital to reopen footpaths which do not pose a risk.

Updated: 11:45 Tuesday, July 03, 2001