THE Okehampton Times has responded to the plight of the local community by producing a special four-page supplement this week aimed at attracting visitors back to the area and boosting the local economy.

In a week where foot and mouth outbreaks in Devon rose to more than 100, a steely determination to beat this crisis and rise from the shadow of six weeks of 'doom and gloom' has been shown by Okehampton and its surrounding towns — they are coming out fighting!

The huge sympathy for farmers affected by the crisis which has wiped out thousands of livestock around Okehampton remains, but the business community and townspeople are now turning their attention to saving the local economy.

With businesses and accommodation providers losing anything from 10 per cent to 100 per cent of their trade because people are staying away from the countryside, numerous crisis meetings have been held and communities are putting together action plans to get themselves back on the map for all the right reasons.

In a bid to attract visitors back to the area, the Okehampton Times' supplement is being distributed through the English Tourist Board to tourist information centres, service stations and travel agents across the country.

The proprietor of the Okehampton Times, Sir Ray Tindle, who has already made £250,000 available for interest-free loans to help small businesses affected by the foot and mouth crisis, said: 'I am delighted that the Okehampton Times has led the way in trying to revitalise the economy of Okehampton and district using the voice of the community at the heart of an area hit so hard by the current foot and mouth crisis.'

In Okehampton, the chamber of trade is also at the forefront of regenerating the town's businesses and chairman Ian Bailey is one of the people behind a plan to hold a major music festival in the town on Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend.

He said: 'The only way we get ourselves back on the map is to help ourselves. It is no use sitting and hoping someone else will do it for us — that won't happen.

'This festival will be the kick-start to the local economy that has been needed since the start of the foot and mouth crisis.'

Top stars are being approached to appear at the festival which organisers hope will be the biggest ever of its kind in Devon and Cornwall.

With financial backing secured from a private source to help fund the festival, support has also come from Tim Jones, of the Devon and Cornwall Business Council, who said that Okehampton was leading the way with this bold initiative.

'I warmly applaud and support this project and will give it every encouragement and assistance to ensure it is the success it deserves,' he said.

'I am delighted that the businesses in Okehampton have come up with this bold initiative to generate some serious business for the region ahead of other initiatives which might have been considered.'

Keep buying the Okehampton Times for a regular update about acts, entertainment and booking details for the festival.

One of the towns worst hit by the foot and mouth outbreak, Hatherleigh, is trying desperately to shrug off its image as the most blighted town in the South West, said deputy chairman of Hatherleigh Business Association Tim Brandon-King.

'If there is one thing that Hatherleigh is known for it is innovation — our campaign to ban French produce after France failed to lift its ban on British beef made the town a household name,' he said.

'We want to get away from the doom and gloom image and let people know Hatherleigh is a very nice little town to visit and it is well and truly open for business.'

Street markets, selling everything from flowers to food stuffs, are being held in the town on Tuesdays to attract custom and help stallholders who would normally sell their goods at Hatherleigh Cattle Market, and town residents are inviting a friend for Easter.

Philip Pyle's Auctions also opened up again for business this week.