VILLAGERS are planning a colourful summer to attract more tourists to Weardale.

People living in Rookhope have raised more than £3,500 to spend on hanging baskets and planting sessions to brighten up the village in the summer months.

Rookhope In Bloom will be unveiled officially in June this year, but already villagers are working hard and have formed several steering committees to make sure the campaign is a success.

Chris Jones, a trustee of St Aidan's Trust, which runs the Rookhope Inn, said villagers were busy securing grants and coming up with ideas for the project.

He said: "We have already got a grant for £2,500 from Cdent (the County Durham Environmental Trust), as well as support from Durham County Council and The National Environment Group.

"Applications are in with other organisations to secure funding, and we are starting to get all the baskets ready."

Those working on the project have chosen to step back in time to the traditions of the Dale and its heritage when selecting a theme, which is mining and the railway. Old railway carts have already been given to compliment the theme and ideas for final designs are being drawn up.

The event aims to enhance the hard work already undertaken by villagers to resurrect the community's pub.

The Rookhope Inn had been closed for two years before Mr Jones and other business people, with the support of individuals, joined forces to form a trust and re-open the building as a community pub.

It is run by volunteers who give up their free time to keep the pub ticking over while juggling their ordinary jobs.

Since its re-opening, the inn has attracted visitors from all over the region to live music events and other activities.

It is also used as a centre for young people in the village to meet and for adult learning classes.

The Easter weekend saw the opening of five bedrooms which the inn intends to use for bed and breakfast tourism. All of the rooms were fully booked and the success has secured the employment of a full-time cleaner.

Mr Jones said: "It has been a lot of hard work but we have pulled together and we have achieved what we set out to achieve."