THE Ten Tors competition is not off yet. The Army is still hopeful this major annual event can still take place — although its fate currently hangs in the balance.

Major Mike Pether, secretary of the Ten Tors Expedition, said if there were no more foot and mouth outbreaks a meeting would be held on March 26 and a decision made after that.

'We recognise that if the crisis goes on beyond that there will not be sufficient training time for those taking part to get ready for the event. We have a duty of care to make sure that they prepare themselves.'

Major Pether said if a decision were made to go ahead that would leave five training weekends and the Easter break.

'The farmers on Dartmoor at the moment are bruised and we have to consider their feelings even if the epidemic is over.

'If a farmer has an outbreak on his land he then has six months' quarantine. This is his livelihood and we have to be sympathetic. We are military but we are also public servants and have to consider everyone.'

Army spokesman David Harris said: 'We are hoping this current outbreak will be over sooner rather than later. Whether there is a Ten Tors this year depends on the timescale.

'There is no doubt that the longer it goes on the more the event will be put at risk.'

'Whether we can wind back to the minimum period for them to get ready is something we cannot determine at the moment. There are events outside our control.'

If it is called off it would be the first time the Ten Tors had been cancelled before it has started.

'The holding of the Ten Tors is always subject to operational requirements because if servicemen were called away on service work and we did not have the manpower that would be something else. But that has not happened.'

Mr Harris said the Army was 'hoping fervently' that the event would be on. He said the Ten Tors, which involved some 2,400 teenagers, was a great way to 'instill in the youngsters a respect for Dartmoor and the environment.'

This year the Okehampton Chamber of Trade has been working closely with the Ten Tors team to promote the town along with the event. For the first time the chamber has been allowed to place a leaflet extolling the facilities in Okehampton in all the applicants' acceptance packs.

'None of us is going to be surprised if the the Ten Tors is off — but it would be a great shame for the town because the chamber has been working hard with the organisers to promote the event for the children and families that are taking part,' said chairman Ian Bailey.

'You have to be realistic. If it is off, so be it. You have to look at the long term good because everybody is having a bad time,' he said.

The defence ministry has suspended all training on Dartmoor and the rest of the country until further notice.

'The farmers and ourselves work very closely in looking after the moors,' said Lt Col Tony Clark (ret), Commandant of the Dartmoor training area.

A smallholder himself, he said their hearts went out to the farmers at this difficult time.

'We are manning the Okehampton Moor gate, where the loop road begins, to make sure no military accidentally go on the moor. We are backing up the farmers by keeping a presence there,' he said.

'The public are being incredibly good about observing the request not to go on the moor.'