Websites to record foot-and-mouth impact

Two new websites have been created to record the impact of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Visitors will be asked to post their views and questions about the virus and share their experiences online.

Tourism operators and hoteliers can take part in opinion polls on one and there will be a weekly chat session for the farming community on the other.

One of the sites has been set up by North Devon hotel owner Jeremy Roe and Lake District hotel owner Charles Garside. The web address will be announced later on Thursday.

Mr Garside said: "We are trying to gauge exactly what people feel about the crisis. We have the chance to collect a huge body of evidence from people."

A separate website has been created by Lancashire-based charitable trust Littoral, which supports farming families and rural communities.

A chat line discussion forum will be open every Tuesday from 7pm to 9.30pm. The project is being backed by the British National Farmers Union.