A THREE-DAY festival over the coming Bank Holiday weekend is due to be bigger and better.

The Leyburn Festival of Food and Drink in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, which last year attracted 18,000 people, now boasts a clutch of celebrities among its patrons.

Chef Rick Stein, Countdown presenter Richard Whiteley and actor Robert Hardy have all agreed to support the event.

This year, the organisers are confident of a bigger and better programme, focusing on healthy eating.

There will be three marquees for the festival, which opens on on Saturday, May 1 and includes a Festival Inn and a Speakers' Corner.

It is hoped the reopening of the Wensleydale Railway will also help boost visitor numbers.

"We feel that our charge of just £2.50 for the day - covering entry to the whole festival and including free parking - is outstanding value,'' said co-ordinator Gerald Hodgson.

"Children under 16 are admitted free and well catered for with a vintage fairground.''

Richmond MP William Hague will perform the opening ceremony, while members of the Rylstone WI, who inspired the Calendar Girls film, will mingle with the crowds.

For information, contact www.dalesfestivaloffood.org or call the Leyburn Tourist Information Centre on (01969) 623069.