AN official website for Hambleton district is up and running, with council chiefs confident it will prove a valuable resource.

The site was launched yesterday and includes planning information and news on all the latest events in the district.

Council leader June Imeson said: "We are very pleased with the new site. There are already many new features, which we intend to update on a daily basis.

"As we move towards e-government it is vital that we are able to deliver our services on-line."

She said that officers were in talks with North Yorkshire County Council about ways in which the two authorities' websites could be strengthened.

Links to sites established by parish and town councils are also being developed.

The council launched its website in November 1997 and it now gets about 4,000 hits a month.

The site can be found at www.hambleton.gov.u