THE Prime Minister's television appearance yesterday to assure the country that the foot and mouth crisis was on the "home straight" looked less than a racing certainty today with a new batch of outbreaks confirmed in Cumbria.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown went on radio today to back his leader's words but admitted that there were "still areas of infectivity". Using another sporting metaphor, he urged the country "not to drop its guard."

The Government is drawing up a recovery plan to help farmers and rural business to get back on their feet but the news was not met with much enthusiasm in Cumbria.

"It's been a total disaster," said one Cumbrian NFU official. In hard-hit Wensleydale, which has important racehorse training stables at Middleham, racing people were commenting that the home straight could still be a very long gallop - because the winning post is still not in sight.

However, this bank holiday weekend will mark a crucial milepost in the crisis. Farmers in as yet unaffected areas are hoping that new outbreaks will be confined to existing "hot-spot" and thousands of pubs, restaurants and B&Bs are looking for a resurgence in trade.