A NEW cycle route could bring hundreds of thousands of pounds to the region's economy.

A presentation to inform businesses about the Walney Island to Wear (W2W) cycle route was held at the Jersey Farm Hotel, Barnard Castle, earlier this week, and heard that it expected to attract 3,500 visitors a year by 2007.

Work on the cycle route, which stretches from Cumbria to Sunderland, is expected to finish next June. It will link with the popular Sea-to-Sea (C2C) route.

David Turner, who owns a bed-and-breakfast just off the C2C route, near Consett, County Durham, said cyclists often accounted for more than half his business.

He said: "Without the C2C I'm not sure whether we would be viable."

Although there was some concern that the W2W route would be overshadowed by the C2C, Ms Morrissey said this was unlikely.

Often, cyclists liked the challenge of a route and would come back to do it again. The W2W route would offer them an alternative.

The W2W would also be marketed differently to advertise some of the areas it was passing through, such as Barnard Castle, County Durham, and Durham, which are not on the C2C route.

Paul Branch, leisure manager at Teesdale District Council, said: "From our point of view, other than the social and health benefits of having this cycle route, it will undoubtedly have economic benefits as well."

The W2W route will be 160 miles long and will be developed to National Cycle Network standards.

It will pass through Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Durham, and Sunderland and will taken about five days to complete.