LARGE parts of Ilkley Moor are to be opened to the public after six months of foot and mouth disease restrictions.

As the Gazette went to press Bradford Council officials were frantically working out which paths on the moor could be opened up immediately and which would remain closed.

The council workers said they were notified by officials from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on Tuesday night that parts of the moor which did not fall directly within a three-kilometre exclusion zone from Hill Top Farm, Middleton, could be reopened.

The move, which will breathe new life into Ilkley's moribund tourist trade, will be greeted with universal relief in the town.

Earlier this week Bradford Council was under the impression that the moor could be closed until the end of the year, but in a remarkable U-turn which council officials have put down to a change of mind by DEFRA, it has been decided to reopen a large part of the popular recreation area.

Last weekend many of the footpaths in the Bradford district, including Baildon Moor, were reopened but Ilkley Moor was not included.

The problem with Ilkley Moor is that part of it falls within a three-kilometre protection zone from Hill Top Farm, Middleton - which suffered a foot and mouth outbreak in June.

According to Ilkley Conservative district councillor and Bradford's environment chief, Anne Hawkesworth, DEFRA officials decided the farm needed secondary disinfection because of inconclusive tests. But this could not be carried out because of the Government's temporary ban on paying for farm disinfection.

The Government ordered the ban because it was believed that some disinfection teams were charging inflated prices and cashing in on the crisis.

Coun Hawkesworth said that she was informed by DEFRA that because grazing land on the moor was connected to the areas within the exclusion zone, the whole moor would have to remain closed.

While saying she was very pleased that a large part of the moor could be reopened, she accused DEFRA of giving conflicting advice over what strategy to follow.

"I am at a complete loss with them. The whole exercise has been a tissue of mistakes and lies," said Coun Hawkesworth.

She called for a public inquiry into the way foot and mouth had been handled and suggested that right from the outset, vaccination should have been considered.

The news of the moor's reopening came the day after Ilkley MP Ann Cryer called on the Government to make Ilkley Moor an exception to the disinfection payment ban.

Mrs Cryer said: "It is because people have been fiddling the Government and making extraordinary charges. Unfortunately it has put us into difficulties."

Mrs Cryer said: "If, because of that one farm, the whole of Ilkley Moor is under restriction - it is just plain silly."

Kathleen Pinder, manager of Ilkley's Tourist Information Centre, said: "It is wonderful news. People have been coming in from all over the place asking when it is going to be reopened."

John Atkinson, who owns Fusion, on The Grove, an outdoor pursuits company, said he was delighted his business could soon get back to usual.

He said: "Most of the people whose businesses have felt an impact are seasonal. We have a couple of months left to get people in."

Matthew Ball, chef at Westwood Lodge - a hotel and conference centre which has been hit hard by the foot and mouth restrictions - said he was delighted with the news.

"Hopefully walkers will be back in force," he said. "And hopefully this will mean a good final stage of the summer with people feeling free to come to Ilkley again."

His comments were echoed by Ilkley parish councillor Kate Brown: She said: "It's excellent news for the walkers. People who come to Ilkley for walking will be able to do so and hopefully it will help the shops which have suffered.