Paragliding teacher Robert Chisholm says he is being forced out of business by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

He has lost thousands of pounds' worth of business and is now considering becoming a driving instructor instead.

Mr Chisholm, 35, of Atlingworth Street, Brighton, takes pupils to Steyning to teach them paragliding seven days a week.

He charges £350 per course and says the most popular time is Easter weekend.

This year he stands to lose more than £5,000 because nobody is coming.

The countryside area at Steyning Bowl has been closed off to the public amid fears of the disease spreading.

Brighton-based Mr Chisholm, who says he be forced to close or scale down his business, said: "It makes me laugh when the Government talks about how we can go back to the countryside on the television when this is clearly untrue. Nobody wants to help us at all."

He said he had already been to an interview for a post as a driving instructor and added: "I have not taken any business at all this year. I would love Tony Blair to come down here and I would take him for a long walk and show him all the places which are shut off."

Robert, who cycles 20 miles across the Downs every day, has been paragliding for more than ten years.

He set up in businesses using a £2,000 payment when he was made redundant from his previous job as a Formula One car body mould maker.