WHITBY'S famous jet industry is in line for a boost, thanks to a multi-thousand pound makeover of its Victorian jet works and heritage centre.

The centre, near the harbourside, has received funding from the European Union, Yorkshire Forward and the North York Moors National Park, to enable the facelift to go ahead.

The man behind the venture, Hal Redvers-Jones, said: "Whitby's jet industry boomed in the nineteenth century, and in the short space of 12 years, the number of workshops grew from a mere handful to 200."

Mr Redvers-Jones, himself a jet worker, and owner of the heritage centre, said: "Jet has been worn for personal adornment since the Roman times but it was the Victorians who made jet a major economic force.

"When the industry was at its peak in 1875, the collective turnover for the town was just over £110,000, which in today's money equates to £3.25m. It was Whitby's main industry.

"But the industry declined as fast as it had grown. As demand outstretched availability, poor quality jet from abroad was sold, as was fake jet, made from glass or primitive plastics," he said.

"The public lost confidence in what they were buying .

"And with jet workers reluctant to move into new styles, such as art nouveau and art deco, the industry practically disappeared by the turn of the twentieth century."

The heritage centre has benefited from the national park's sustainable tourism project, which has already helped with interpretation work at the Peak Alum Mine Centre at Ravenscar.

Project officer Eleanor Puet said: "Our industrial heritage is fascinating, but there isn't much interpretation in the area to increase visitors' understanding of alum, ironstone or jet mining.

"The project has recognised this gap and helped businesses such as Whitby Jet Heritage Centre and the Peak Alum Works to make this part of history more accessible."

Whitby jet is unique, and can only be found on seven-and-a-half miles of Yorkshire coastline. It is to be found in a few other countries, but Whitby's is recognised as being of the best quality, Ms Puet said.

"The industry has seen a renaissance over the last decade, with customers seeking out unique hand-crafted pieces. The new Whitby centre will become a platform to launch a Whitby Jet Carvers' Guild, which all bona fide jet carvers will be invited to join.

"This should ensure that skills are protected and developed, and that the industry's integrity is preserved to avoid repeating the mistakes made in the nineteenth century, which brought about its decline."

The centre will reopen in the new year, with an official launch set for the spring.