The Lake District's beleaguered tourism industry received a much-needed boost as visitors flocked to the area over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Signs declaring 'No Vacancies' in hotel and B&B windows across the area were a particularly welcome sight bearing in mind the economic hardship faced by the industry locally in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Encouraged, no doubt by the sunny weather, many towns and villages recorded high visitor numbers, some even exceeding last year's August Bank Holiday totals.

Grasmere Sports, the only major survivor of South Lakeland's show and sports season, attracted about 7,000 visitors, vindicating the organisers' brave decision to push ahead and stage the event.

Meanwhile, around 34,500 people enjoyed days out at the races at Cartmel.

Clearly the opening of many of the area's footpaths, plus marketing efforts by the likes of Cumbria Tourist Board, have helped get over the message that the majority of the Lake District is well and truly open for business.

Some accommodation providers are now talking of a mood of "quiet optimism" - with the hope that bookings will pick up over the remaining months of the tourist season to bide them over the lean winter months.

But there are still many traders waiting to learn if the Government is going to provide more money, following this month's news that a £5 million recovery package to help ailing businesses had run dry.

And the foot-and-mouth crisis is by no means over.

The mood in the Penrith Spur, where hundreds of farms have been infected, remains sombre, while this week's outbreaks in Northumberland are a grim reminder that foot-and-mouth remains a constant danger, even in areas which have not seen a case for months.

Further evidence that South Lakeland remains under threat can be seen in the extension of the biosecurity net to include the Kendal and Sedbergh areas and DEFRA's approach to the Westmorland County Show board to use part of the showfield for a possible operations centre, should an outbreak occur in the district.

With farmers on tenterhooks and those involved with tourism hoping for more visitors - and more promises of cash aid - the next few weeks will be critical for the Lake District's two major industries.