THE last few months have been very difficult for the Forest. Very few people could fail to have been moved by the slaughter of thousands of sheep and cattle during the foot and mouth outbreak. However, I feel it is important to make everyone aware of the wider scale problems being suffered by those outside the "farming community."

This Centre caters for up to 55 schoolchildren weekly and employs 10 staff, all of whom live and support families locally. Under the guidance of MAFF vets in Gloucester we have remained open, but the access restrictions have greatly curtailed our activity options leading to a considerable loss of business. We are not alone – ask anyone involved in the "tourist" industry locally.

Today (May 9), I discovered that the access position will not improve until the 26 outstanding cases where MAFF officials are being denied access to cull sheep/cattle in the Forest of Dean have been dealt with. This faces us all with a seemingly endless delay and many tourist businesses will not be able to survive.

There will be much debate about how the outbreak has been handled in the months that follow its eventual eradication, but now is not the time. We know that not everyone is happy with the cull of healthy animals, but having gone this far down that particular route it seems unwise to jeopardise the sacrifices already made by changing tack.

Many farmers have suffered terribly, but they will be compensated and they will be able to rebuild their business. Those in the tourist industry will receive little or no compensation and their businesses will not survive unless the access restrictions are lifted urgently.

So far we have made great sacrifices to help the farming community overcome this outbreak. It is difficult to accept therefore that our businesses, which contribute far more to the local economy than farming, must now go to the wall because of the actions of these 26 remaining "farms."

I can try to understand the feelings of these people, but the time has come to act decisively and eradicate the disease. Then we can learn lessons and try to ensure that the countryside is better prepared to deal with any future outbreak. – Malcolm Arnold, The Dean Field Studies Centre, Parkend.