An appeal launched by the Newcastle Journal to help the region’s farmers during the foot and mouth crisis has raised nearly £230,000.

The Rural Rescue Appeal was kick-started on March 23 with a £100,000 donation from the Duke of Northumberland, and now the public are sending in up to £9,000 a day, using coupons printed in the paper.

All donations go to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution which is crying out for extra volunteers after being over-run with letters and phone calls.

Institution general manager Jackie Newman said; “People in the North-East have been magnificent.

“We have never, ever seen anything like this and are desperately calling in volunteers to help open the letters and cash the cheques. In addition to this we need people to help man the phones.”

The office is currently handling an average of 150 calls a day, and has already given out £60,000 to families affected by the crisis in the past month.

The appeal has three main aims: to raise money to directly help those who have lost family income as a result of the crisis; to get businesses and firms involved in the fund-raising drive; and to encourage people to visit rural attractions which have no risk of spreading the disease.

Other big benefactors include the owner of Blagdon Estate, Viscount Ridley, who gave £15,000, and trustees of the Sir James Knott Trust, founded in the name of the former Tyneside shipping line owners, who gave £25,000.

Vicount Ridley’s son, Matt Ridley said: “No-one knows how long this crisis will last and many people are facing real difficulties. We will continue to monitor the situation and do what we can as things develop.”

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