OVER-REACTION to the expected influx of visitors to Cornwall for the eclipse are threatening to push this summer's tourist figures down to below the normal August average.

A survey carried out by tourism students at Cornwall College has revealed that many regular hotel visitors have cancelled their usual bookings after reading endless newspaper reports about the chaos that they can expect to find here.

Cornwall and Caradon Councillor Derek Richards said that fellow councillors had concluded that the original projection of six million visitors was now down to only three quarters of a million. He said that Caradon's own mini-survey of two camp sites which they had advertised nationally was indicative of the gap between the fears and the reality. On one, there had been six enquiries and no takers and there were four enquiries for the other, with, again, no positive bookings.

'We don't know of any caravan or camping site in our area that will be at capacity that week,' he emphasised.

Applications for sites on the Rame Peninsula alone, where Cllr Richards is based, will mean that there are several thousand pitches available. The prospective sites where camping may be allowed include HMS Raleigh, Torpoint School, Maker Camp, Millbrook Football Club and David Turner's farm below the Poron factory.

Sheviock councillors discussed the latest application, from farmer Geoffrey Rundle of Triffle Farm and Whitsand Bay Hotel owner Jesse Earle, for 800 camping pitches. Over 60 members of the public attended the meeting, which decided in favour of supporting the application.

Parish council chairman John Kentisbeer expressed surprise that the response was so positive. 'With the road being only 12 metres wide outside the shop,' he commented, 'people were very worried about the traffic problems.'

RESTORMEL councillors have been told that officers are genuinely concerned that adverse national publicity regarding holiday bookings in Cornwall during the eclipse, may lead to less visitors to the county in August.

They say that most of those providing accommodation in the borough are 30 per cent or more down on bookings through August l999 compared with last year.

Officers have attended four holiday shows this year - in Blackpool, Bournemouth, Glasgow and Manchester - and at each have discovered that members of the public believe Cornwall will be absolutely full prior, during and after the eclipse. A report to Restormel's economic development and tourism sub-committee also says that the public seem to believe that 'all accommodation providers have introduced extortionate tariffs for the month of August, and all roads leading in and out of the county will be grid locked.'

It is thought that bookings for eclipse week will probably, eventually, fill up, but the greatest concern is for the weeks prior to, and following, the event - the financially crucial 'high season' for most businesses.

Positive steps are proposed to try and combat the current position, these including daily updating of eclipse information on the department's Internet site, and carrying out a direct mail campaign from a database of repeat visitors to put the other side of the horror stories.

Officers are also considering putting a 'flash' on all planned advertisements with a message such as: 'Quality accommodation still available throughout the summer, including Eclipse week August 11.'