A MUSEUM voted the most family friendly in the country has started the tourist season with a record number of visitors.

The number of people looking round Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum, in Weardale, at Easter was 21 per cent higher than last year and 34 per cent up on 2002.

The centre, which is run by Durham County Council, was awarded the Guardian newspaper's Family Friendly Award last autumn.

It beat 300 other museums for the title.

Published: 17/04/2004