THERE will be no sorcery or revelry on Pendle Hill this hallowe'en as the area is kept off-limits due to foot and mouth.

DEFRA officials said they wanted to ensure that blood tests gave the area's livestock and cattle the all-clear before re-opening the area. This could take another two months.

Licensees will lose out on the busiest night of their year in addition to the reduction in trade since the disease took hold.

And Lancashire County Council will make sure DEFRA's restrictions are kept by deploying officers to patrol the area throughout the night.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "We are requesting members of the public to assist in the fight against foot and mouth disease by keeping away from the area.

"The area will be patrolled over hallowe'en and the rights of way closure enforced.

"Most local businesses will remain open, and it is recommended that the public contact the local Tourist Information Centres for further information."

Peter Hampson, owner of the Pendle Witch pub, Sabden, vowed to carry on with his annual party, but said it wouldn't be the same.

"It will kill us and it will be stone dead," he said, "we're normally chock a block, one of the busiest nights of the year.

"The food trade has been affected since foot and mouth. It's a shame to affect hallowe'en night, but we we want to stop foot and mouth."

Keith Rickwood, manager of the Pendle Inn, Barley, at the base of the hill, said they had already altered their opening times to close between 3pm and 6pm because foot and mouth restrictions had damaged trade.

"It's going to be dead this year," he said, "it's normally really good fun. We have a special do with locals and people who have travelled in.

"Foot and mouth has been here for about eight weeks and it's really affecting trade. We always used to be open on afternoons.

"But we don't want foot and mouth to spread again.

"I think the evening could be a hassle with people trying to get up on to the hill."

Steven Darbyshire, bar manager of the Wellsprings Mexican Restaurant, which in the Nick o' Pendle, said it would normally be one of their busiest nights of the year.

"The hill has been closed to walkers for some months.

"We will still put on our special menu and we hope to have a lot of people here but we won't get as many as last year."

Approximately 4,000 animals have been culled in the Pendle area after Rainhill Farm, Barnoldswick, was found to be infected on June 11.