LINTON and Kettlewell youth hostels have been earmarked for closure after suffering losses following the foot and mouth crisis.

A meeting of the Youth Hostels Association (YHA) board later this month will assess proposals to close a significant number of hostels, including the two based in Wharfedale.

Roger Clarke, chief executive of the YHA, said the youth hostels had been identified for possible closure and sale as part of the economy measures it is having to make as a result of the losses suffered in the foot and mouth outbreak.

"By the end of this financial year, we estimate YHA will have lost £5 million on a turnover of £30 million as a result of the closure of the countryside," said Mr Clarke.

"We very much regret this move. It will diminish the capacity of our guests to enjoy the Yorkshire Dales and reduce our contribution to the local community and local economic opportunities," he added.

In the Craven area there are youth hostels in Kettlewell, Linton, Malham, Stainforth, Ingleton and Earby.

Duncan Simpson, corporate affairs manager for the YHA, told the Herald that there were no plans to close any of the other youth hostels in the Craven area.

He said a lot of money had been invested in youth hostels at Stainforth and Ingleton, Malham was a key unit for the network and Earby was a small youth hostel in good condition.

He added: "There has been no decision yet on the two youth hostels being looked at.

"I would stress that the decision that the board of trustees makes may be that they don't want to close these. They will be looked at in conjunction with each other. It is highly unlikely that both youth hostels will close."

Judith Mallams, who runs the youth hostel in Kettlewell, said: "I'm really quite sad about the fact that the hostel could have to close. We are getting no support from the Government as we are a charity and get nothing extra."

She added the YHA was not a business that could sell off assets such as stocks and shares, but was forced to get rid of the only assets it had when it came to the crunch - its buildings.

Coun Peter Walbank, an original member of the YHA, said the planned closures would be disastrous for the area.

"It really would be a disaster to lose two youth hostels in Wharfedale. So many young people use these facilities - they stop overnight and go walking. Goodness knows what they are going to do now. I am very worried."

Vice-chairman of Kettlewell Parish Council Ian Cuthbert said: "I would deeply regret this move because it will affect the pubs in particular and the village shop because a lot of the people who used the hostel got their meals and drinks at the pubs and bought their overnight supplies from the shop. They will be adversely affected by this."

Mr Cuthbert added the news came when a noticeable number of visitors were just starting to come back to the village after the foot and mouth crisis. He said the youth hostel in Kettlewell was a well used facility, which was popular with visitors wanting to walk the Dales Way.

Doug McLellan, of Kettlewell Village Store, said: "This obviously would affect us quite badly as we rely on a lot of the self caterers from the hostel for our income. I would not say it would mean the closure of the shop, but it would cause us some problems."

He added: "When there are school trips at the hostel, the kids come in and buy their gifts, sweets and drinks from the shop. At weekends Dales Way walkers pick up their food from us."