On the whole, the attitude towards footpaths in the campaign to combat foot-and-mouth disease has been bizarrely inconsistent. At first, as a knee-jerk reaction, just about every path in the land was closed off, including some of those in built-up areas. Then many rights of way were reopened - nicely in time for the election.

However, that should not be taken as a sign that foot-and-mouth has been beaten. The crisis rumbles on ominously, particularly in this part of the world. In Airedale, there have been cases reported in Settle, Skipton, Cracoe, Keighley and Silsden. Now, in North Yorkshire, there has been a cluster of cases reported in the Thirsk area.

And this past weekend a lot of distress was caused at Baildon where precautionary culling of the moorland sheep took place while villagers were holding their annual gala nearby. Now, with the sheep gone, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is suggesting that the footpaths on the moor and others in the district could be reopened to the public.

That is rather premature. If the sheep on the moor were considered to be at risk, then there can be no guarantee that some of the footpaths might not be contaminated. That contamination, if it exists, could be spread to other areas on the boots of ramblers.

DEFRA needs to get its act together. Instead of issuing a blanket recommendation of this kind, it should leave the timing of any re-opening of footpaths to local councils. They clearly are much better placed to use their knowledge of local circumstances to make informed decisions as to when the right to roam might safely be restored.