THE best places to stay, eat, shop and enjoy a day out in Wear Valley are on show in a guide launched by the district council.

Visit Wear Valley has been produced in conjunction with the Wear Valley Forum for Business, with the help of the first part of a £40,000 grant from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

It is the first of a series of tourism brochures planned for the next 12 months that will be sent to Tourist Information Centres around the country.

Demand has been so high that the guide is already being reprinted. This means that any businesses left out of the brochure can be included in the next edition.

Council tourism promotion and development officer Mike Richardson said initial feedback had been good, adding: "Wear Valley has a lot to offer, but people from outside don't realise how rich its heritage is."