DARTMOOR National Park Authority has chosen to exercise caution and postpone the full re-opening of Dartmoor for two weeks.

The original target date for re-opening was July 1 but at a special meeting of the authority on Tuesday night the decision was made to put it back to July 14.

A positive blood test revealing antibodies in sheep at Northlew this week and an outbreak of foot and mouth in cattle on the Brecon Beacons after access was restored is believed to have influenced the decision — but it has caused anger among some tourism businesses.

Sixty per cent of the moor was opened on June 9 but the northern part, close to the epicentre of foot and mouth disease in Devon, has remained closed since March.

Speaking at the meeting on Tuesday DNP chief executive Nick Atkinson said the target date of July 1 had been subject to two conditions — that there were no new outbreaks within the moor and that all blood testing was completed and proved negative.

'The fact is there has been a further case at North Tawton which infringes in the 10 km zone of the national park and although virtually all the blood testing has been done and come back negative there is still a final batch of tests to do,' he said.

DNP member John Hockridge said he was well aware what a devastating effect foot and mouth had had on the tourism industry but what everybody wanted was this disease cleared up.

'I feel at this stage we should act with caution,' he said. 'There are still an awful lot of very nervous people out there on the northern part of the moor — the problem is we do not know how it spreads. There is so much conflicting evidence when you speak to the experts.'

Other members reiterated his comments and felt the disease was still an 'unknown quantity' on Dartmoor.

Hugh Whittley was concerned about news of an outbreak in cattle following the opening of the rights of way on the Brecon Beacons.

'I can see foot and mouth coming back on Dartmoor quite easily,' he said. 'I do not think we should give dates — I am thoroughly against any re-opening of the moor at the moment.'

But Nicholas Waterhouse said there would be small flare-ups of the disease every now and again and there would be no greater or less risk in 14 days' times as there was now.

'The real risk of walkers spreading the disease is very, very low indeed,' he said.

'The idea that in some way we are being cautious by delaying it for two weeks has no rational base at all.'

Mr Waterhouse said blood tests were mapping the history of the disease and positive antibodies found in sheep did not suggest a new outbreak. It purely meant they had been subjected to the disease at some stage.

Following the meeting, the owner of the Two Bridges Hotel, Philip Davies, said he could not see any logic in the decision.

He said Government guidelines had clearly stated that it was safe to re-open the moor and the authority had in effect ignored that.

'I am absolutely bemused — this year is going to be a write-off,' he said. 'The mixed message that people are getting about Dartmoor is very dangerous.'

He said the next three months were crucial to his business and the authority had taken away two weeks of that.

'People have booked accommodation on the assumption that the moor will be open this weekend. With the dates being pushed back they are just going to get fed up and go somewhere else for their holidays.'

Ann Cooper, of The Tors Hotel at Belstone, said she could not understand why one part of the moor could be opened and the other not.

'It is a complete farce — it should be all or nothing,' she said. 'Most of the tourists who come here have not got a clue what is open — they are so confused they end up driving on to Cornwall.'

She said local trade and the food side of their business had kept them going, but for many tourism businesses this decision would 'prolong the misery' of the last four months.

Julie Searle, who owns Lydford House Hotel and riding stables said she was 'devastated' at the news.

'It is a very black day. We had the horses shod in preparation for July 1 at £42 per set — all for nothing — and have spent £16,000 on their upkeep since the crisis started.

'We are in the hardest hit area, and I can't see this part of the moor opening until the autumn now,' she said.

Mrs Searle also felt there should be compensation. 'Our visitors stay with us because of the riding facilities. Until two weeks ago we didn't have any bookings, now the few we have had since will be lost.

'We have lost the whole season and I don't see how we are going to survive,' she said.

But proprietor of Gidleigh Park Hotel at Chagford, Paul Henderson, said he did not think two weeks made a significant difference.

'I am just happy that a date has been fixed — I think it was a sensible decision to make given that there have been many cases within a few miles of the northern part of the moor,' he said.

'What was illogical was the Government closing down the countryside in the first instance — the whole of Devon has been substantially affected by this.'

Access restrictions will be lifted on north Dartmoor on July 14 providing there are no further outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in or affecting the national park.