The Great Round Oxfordshire Walk, which aimed to raise £500,000 for a children's charity, has been postponed again because of the foot and mouth crisis.

The sponsored walk for the NSPCC was called off at short notice in September because of the fuel protests. Organisers have now postponed the May 20 walk around the county's borders until September 2002, because some footpaths will be closed.

NSPCC staff wanted to spend the proceeds on improving the charity's helpline, to fund a training programme, and to help the overworked Special Investigation Unit.

Brigadier Ian Inshaw, chairman of the charity's Full Stop Campaign to tackle child abuse, said: "It is very disappointing to have to cancel the walk for the second time.

"Once foot and mouth has been tackled, there will probably have to be a moratorium on the land for about six months, so we thought it safest to postpone the walk until next year.

"We considered cancelling it but the Army cadet force are very keen to lead people around the route so we will try again.

"People sympathise with the farmers and it would be wrong of us to go into competition with them.

"This is hugely frustrating. The first year these big events are run, they are not too well supported but if they are run on an annual basis, they can gain momentum."

*One of the Royal British Legion's biggest hopes for fundraising this year has had to be cancelled because of the foot and mouth crisis.

The Poppy Walk was to have taken place on May 13 along 12 miles of paths starting and ending at Harwell. The decision has lost the legion between £12,000 and £14,000. Organiser John Regan said: "The Ridgeway is not fully open and local farmers have disease-free sheep in fields."

He said the walk is now planned for May 12, 2002.