A lament for rural businesses

A hush falls over Lake Windermere

Jane Allen sells outdoor clothing and equipment to shops in rural areas, and has seen her customers' businesses decimated "almost overnight" because of foot-and-mouth. She tells BBC News Online's Julie Cramer that she fears for the tourist industry's future.

"I sell outdoor equipment to shops in Cumbria, North Wales and Derbyshire. Many people have said I only need to add Devon into the equation and I will have witnessed all the areas most devastated by foot-and-mouth.

It hurts like hell to see it all fall apart

Jane Allen

"Footpaths are still closed in these areas, barring a pitiful few, walkers are not visiting and the shops are being crippled.

"I earn on a commission basis and have built my business over 12 years. It hurts like hell to see it all fall apart."

Businesses ruined

Ms Allen says she can recount endless tales of tourism businesses facing financial ruin from a disease which first hit the UK farming industry with brute force.

"One customer I visit sold one pair of bootlaces for £1 in a whole three days. I could quote umpteen such cases. I've come across two customers sitting in their shops with the lights off to conserve electricity.

Snowdonia is now open - but will the walkers return?

"Another woman has had to use part of her outdoor shop to cut hair, while her husband has had to go out and look for a job."

"People are being laid off every day. The part-time staff have long gone and full-time staff are on reduced hours."

Ms Allen says that while a sunny Bank Holiday in early May saw a boost in visitors, this daytripper or "ice cream trade" has not been backed up with "real walkers" who buy the equipment and stay for longer locally.

"And the walkers who are coming back are expecting discounts. Talk about hitting a man when he's down."

Compensation call

She says there is understandably great anger among rural business people.

They are angry at the government for not offering them compensation - and they are angry at the media for turning their attention from the disease crisis and towards election fever.

"Rural business is in crisis - but you (the media) just don't seem to care - it's all election, election. You don't even ask the politicians about foot-and-mouth!

"Why is it that farmers qualify - quite rightly - for compensation and yet tourist businesses which have been devastated by the closure of footpaths get nothing?

Rural business is in crisis but the media just don't seem to care - it's all election, election

Jane Allen

"A cafe on a car park in the Ogwen valley in North Wales has not sold a single cup of tea since the powers that be coned off the car park.

"Is he any less deserving than a farmer, any less affected by foot-and- mouth?", she asked.

Ms Allen believes it is not just the hotel businesses, cafes and shops in rural areas being affected.

"The firm I work for has had five redundancies since the crisis began.

"You try telling the girl who's lost her job in the sales office in Surrey that she's not affected by what's going on in the Lake District."

Fear for the future

Ms Allen says that her customers want to see footpaths ("some of which have not seen animals near them in years") opened with immediate effect so that businesses may start recovering.

I've lost about £10,000 since the crisis began

Jane Allen

"Where is all the help and advertising promised by the government encouraging the public to get out into the countryside?"

Government money and help from the media are needed to lure back the tourists, Ms Allen maintains.

"I've lost about £10,000 since the crisis began and I fear for the long-term future as orders just aren't being placed for the winter season.

"I'm not going to be voting Labour this time round, although my husband is. I'm going to be voting for the Lib Dems.

"Rather than throw an egg at Mr Blair, I'm afraid to say that there's an awful lot of my customers who'd rather throw a punch at him."