Richmond can boast another attraction in a year which has seen the tourist industry at an all-time low.

The market town may have faired better than most; the stranglehold that foot-and-mouth disease has had on the countryside will have been felt more in the remote communities around the Yorkshire Dales.

However, holiday accommodation is far from full, even at the foot of Swaledale - and a new landmark to strengthen Richmond's sight-seeing trail is a welcome boost.

The £40,000 restoration project at the Grey Friars Tower was started in December, last year.

Crumbling masonry has been repaired and the railings removed from around the base of the monument, clearing the way for a paved area.

Floodlighting and a display board explaining the tower's history will also be included in future schemes, once funding is available.