THE leader of Hampshire County Council has welcomed the decision to delay polling day for the local elections.

Prime Minister Tony Blair ended weeks of speculation on Monday when he officially announced that local polls scheduled for May 3 were being delayed for a month as a result of the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

At a press conference he said that the national interest was best served by postponement to take account of the "feelings and sensitivities" of people in areas badly hit by the disease.

However the announcement came a week after Mr Blair argued that delaying the elections would send out the signal that Britain was closed for business.

This delay will only affect county council elections in East Hampshire, as district and town council elections are not due to take place this year.

Leader of Hampshire County Council Ken Thornber said: "I welcome the government's decision to delay the elections due to the continuing pressures caused by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

"This is the right course of action to take at present and is in the best interests of the country's rural communities and democracy.

"Our priority here at present is to continue to keep Hampshire clear of foot-and-mouth disease and the county council, working in partnership with others, is making a considerable effort to do this."

The announcement also effectively delayed the general election which is expected to be held on June 7, the same day the county council elections have been pencilled in for.

County councillor John Filer, who covers the Headley ward, said that although the delay of the county elections was unfortunate it was the right thing to do.

He said: "In these times when it is very difficult for a number of people across the country who are being effected by foot and mouth, I think that it very important that central government is taking this opportunity to concentrate all of their efforts on the foot and mouth crisis.

"It is unfortunate that this is a necessary thing to have done."

However Mr Filer said that while June 7 looked a likely replacement date for the elections, it is by no means a certainty.

"How can they know that that date is going to be any better than May 3?" he said.

"I hope that this crisis will be improving by then but we just don't know and that is an important date to remember."