FARMERS in Worcestershire suffering from mental health problems in the wake of foot-and-mouth are being offered a share of £250,000.

The charity Mind, which runs RuralMinds -- a support network for those suffering distress - has pledged to donate the money to crisis-hit areas after warning of the long-term effects on rural communities.

Grants are being made available to areas in Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Warwickshire, following an urgent appeal for donations.

Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Staffordshire, which were the worst affected in the region, can apply for grants of £10,400 to launch projects for people in immediate distress to stop more ser-ous problems developing.

Depression

Keith Elder, national development manager for Mind, said the charity was concerned about long-term implications like post traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicide.

''Mental health services tend to be very thin on the ground in this countryside and we hope the money will kick-start activities to make people aware of mental health issues,'' he said.

The grants follow concerns from the tourism industry that visitors were still staying away from the countryside.

According to a survey by the English Tourism Council, almost a quarter of people believed it was still ''closed'' de-spite nearly all visitor attractions being open again.

The tourism industry in the Midlands is currently 20 per cent down on business compared to last year.