WORCESTERSHIRE County Council is appealing for help in the rush to re-open footpaths in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

With 6,500 paths in the county, the environmental services team has a mammoth task to tackle overgrown vegetation.

Now it has drawn up a "strimming list" of more than 700 re-opened paths to be cleared, with those of particular importance to the community taking priority.

The department is also appealing for information in identifying priority work that it may have missed.

"While the county's path network has been closed we've been unable to carry out any maintenance," said countryside service manager Ian Bamforth.

"There will be a great deal of work to do, particularly in clearing vegetation.

"The strimming programme includes many parish paths known to be particularly important to local communities and in need of regular clearance.

"We'd like to know of other essential strimming not on the list and other urgent maintenance work, such as dangerous bridges or riverbank erosion on paths."

The county council's re-opening operation involves shut paths - those within, crossing or leading to any 3km protection zone having their status reinforced by the erection of new, red signs.

All public rights of way outside protection zones will have yellow "open" signs, which will include a new Government code identifying what any member of the public using the paths can or cannot do.

Mr Bamforth admitted action needed on previously unrecognised priority paths might not be prompt.

"Our telephone lines are particularly busy at the present time so it would be helpful if information could be provided in writing rather than by telephone," he said.