A businessman says he is quitting his home of more than three decades after years of poor investment and the onset of Foot and Mouth.

Alan Jolliffe has been a trader in Thornton for 35 years but the sale of his last venture, the Bronte Tea Rooms, marks the end of his life in the village. He plans to leave for his new home in Fleetwood, Lancashire, this month and said the new buyer may turn the Tea Rooms into an Indian restaurant.

Mr Jolliffe said: "People just aren't coming to Thornton anymore. The bank closed about five years ago, then the schools went and the swimming baths - with no money to replace them. And I honestly think Foot and Mouth deterred a lot of the remaining tourists to the Bronte house, which has had a knock-on effect on us. A couple of years ago we used to get a lot of American, Chinese and Japanese visitors but now they've all been scared off."

Another established business owner looking to move on is Barbara Whitehead, who runs the Bronte Birthplace. After fours years, she is looking to retire and admitted the withering state of Thornton's tourist trade was a factor.

She said: "We get little help from Bradford Council even though this is a world heritage village, conservation area and is the birth place of the Brontes. I was hoping to open a visitor centre and we have bought a property but the costs of converting it are too much and we don't qualify for any grants."

Councillor Andrew Mallinson, executive member for the economy, said the Council could not alter its priorities, such as education, unless more money was given by the Government. He said: "When new buyers are found for the school sites they could be turned into homes or businesses which will hopefully bring more people into Thornton.

"The problem for the Council is that if we keep changing our priorities we will run out of money."