SIR, My son, who is a keen fell runner, walker and cyclist, related an experience he had on a recent trip to the Lake District.

Throwing his gear into his camper van he was away to enjoy three days in the Lakes. When booking in at a site for two nights he was told £15. This he produced only to find out it was £15 per night! When he questioned the charge they immediately knocked £10 off! I have yet to experience being asked to pay even as much as the £10 per night he paid.

The majority of those associated with the tourist industry in the Lakes during foot-and-mouth will well remember this traumatic period and how important visitors are to their economy.

But, of course, there are others, perhaps only recently taking over a business involving tourism.

I quote from the Autumn 2001 edition of Report and Newsletter of the Friends of the Lake District: "The second message is that there has been a clear demonstration of how reliant the rural economy is on the spending power of those people who seek to use the countryside for quiet, recreational pursuits. Perhaps the epidemic will provide a focus to shift discussion away from the sterile and unreal urban versus rural' debate".

I would like to think that the owners of this campsite read this letter and that they, and others of their kind, realise they cannot go on milking' the providers of their livelihood in this way. Both my son and myself have elected to give this site a miss in the future.

C.T. Thompson Preston