COUNTY Durham's new tourism boss is still not much more than a visitor herself, after arriving from Brighton just a few weeks ago.

Melanie Sensicle, chief executive of the county's newly created Tourism Partnership, is bringing a fresh eye to her patch as she visits the seven districts, starting this week with Teesdale, Wear Valley and Sedgefield.

Her job is to bring more visitors to Durham, but she hopes to strike the right balance.

She said: "County Durham doesn't need to become another Lake District, with huge crowds of visitors.

"We can have all the economic benefits of tourism, but it must be sustainable.

"There are some absolute stars in terms of visitor attractions, such as Auckland Castle, Raby Castle and Beamish Museum, and these should be known nationally and internationally.

"The people here are lovely, and I have been really impressed with the number of volunteers who work hard on the ground to support special events and product development.

"One of the problems is that County Durham doesn't have a strong, recognisable identity. People know Durham City very well, but there is an enormous amount of untapped potential in the rest of the county."

Ms Sensicle had been marketing chief at VisitBrighton.