Culture Secretary Chris Smith told the Cabinet meeting that figures from the British Hospitality Association showed tourism income was down by an average of 10 per cent across the country, with the worst-hit parts of Devon and Cumbria as much as 80 per cent down. It has been suggested that the foot and mouth crisis could cost the British tourist industry at least £5 billion over the next few months – jeopardising a large number of jobs. Senior figures in the tourist industry have warned the Government that the foot and mouth outbreak was likely to cost the sector at least that sum by September. The losses break down into £3 billion of lost business from abroad, plus another £2 billion in domestic bookings.

Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, as saying Tony Blair’s decision to postpone local elections from May 3 to June 7 had not helped. “The election delay by a month is telling everyone ‘don’t even think of coming,”‘ he said. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it was expecting a report from the British Tourist Authority, but it had not been received yet. Meanwhile, shadow agriculture minister Tim Yeo urged the Government to start publishing the times it is taking between reporting the disease and slaughtering animals. The target of 24 hours – crucial for eradicating foot-and-mouth, scientists insist – is still not being met in some parts of the country.. The mass exhumation of almost 900 slaughtered livestock which pose a threat to the water supply is being overseen by the Army. The mass exhumation of almost 900 slaughtered livestock which pose a threat to the water supply is being overseen by the Army.Contractors, under the guidance of Army personnel, have begun to dig up the 242 cattle and 620 sheep slaughtered after contracting foot-and-mouth disease on a County Durham farm.

The animals were buried in a gravel pit more than two weeks ago after the crippling disease reached Low Houseloupe Farm, Tow Law, despite warnings by the Environment Agency that the site was unsuitable because of its close proximity to an underground spring. The Environment Agency has since confirmed that water supplies were not affected into neighbouring villages and farms but are continuing to monitor the situation. Ministry of Agriculture officials confirmed there had been a mistake over the site. A spokesman said: “There is a gravel pit on the farm which appeared to be the best burial site but advice from the Environment Agency was that burial in that pit might cause problems for the spring water that supplies the farm. “The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food intended this advice to be followed but when the contractors arrived on the site to do the job, for reasons which are not clear, the carcasses were buried in the gravel pit and not on another site on the farm which had been identified as being suitable.” The carcasses were being transported to a landfill site in County Durham to be buried again. An Army spokeswoman said it was unclear how long the whole operation would take.. A 37-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a slaughterman at the site of the mass cull in Cumbria.

A 37-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a slaughterman at the site of the mass cull in Cumbria. Keith Hubbard, of Mancetter, Atherstone, Warwickshire, is due to appear before Carlisle magistrates. Former butcher Steven Smart, 28, of St Leonards, East Sussex, died after being injured by a bolt gun. The incident happened at the former airfield in Great Orton near Carlisle which is being used as a mass grave for culled livestock.. The jury in the Leeds United footballers trial was sent home today until Monday without returning any further verdicts. The jury in the Leeds United footballers trial was sent home today until Monday without returning any further verdicts.The seven men and four women had been deliberating for just over 21 hours over three days when the judge Mr Justice Poole discharged them until next week.The jury is considering charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray against Leeds players Jonathan Woodgate, 21, and Lee Bowyer, 24, and Woodgate’s friends Paul Clifford and Neale Caveney, both 21.They have all pleaded not guilty during an eight–week trial at Hull Crown Court.The four are accused of beating and kicking 20–year–old student Sarfraz Najeib, of Rotherham, following a confrontation and chase in Leeds city centre in January last year.The jury returned not guilty verdicts yesterday on a charge of conspiracy to pervert justice against another Leeds player, Michael Duberry, 25, and on Woodgate, Clifford and Caveney.The jury will resume deliberations at 10.30am on Monday..

Masked police backed by NATO peacekeepers today seized control of a bank believed used by Bosnian Croat extremists to pursue their goal of an independent mini–state in Croat areas of Bosnia. Masked police backed by NATO peacekeepers today seized control of a bank believed used by Bosnian Croat extremists to pursue their goal of an independent mini–state in Croat areas of Bosnia.Angry Bosnian Croats responded by stoning international officials, beating up employees of international organisations and ransacking a local office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, international authorities said.Peacekeeper spokesman Lt. Lars Anderson said “there have been injuries” among NATO–led peacekeepers but gave no further details. “The situation is still developing,” Anderson said.As tensions mounted today, U.S. and other NATO–led peacekeepers bolstered their presence in a show of force in areas with substantial Croat populations.International authorities ordered the takeover of the Mostar headquarters and several branches of the Hercegovacka Banka because of “repeated concern” over “continued corruption,” a statement from chief international administrator Wolfgang Petritsch’s office said.The bank is believed to be the financial base of the Bosnian wing of the Croatian Democratic Union, or HDZ, which announced plans last month to break away from the Muslim–Croat Federation and establish a separate Croat state in southwestern Bosnia.Today, NATO–led peacekeepers, U.N. international police and security forces of the Muslim–Croat Federation raided the bank and named a provisional administration, Petritsch spokesman Chris Bird said.During the takeover, crowds stoned international officials and there were reports of shots fired outside the bank, U.N spokesman Douglas Coffman said in Sarajevo.