A WHALING captain and a geologist are among the people nominated as the greatest hero of a seaside town.

Thirteen people have been named local heroes for Scarborough, North Yorkshire, including Sir George Cayley, who set out principles for heavier-than-air flying machines 100 years before the Wright Brothers, and William Scoresby Junior, a whaling captain who helped bring prosperity to Whitby.

William Smith, who became known as the Father of English Geology has also been nominated.

He produced the first geological maps of England and Wales.

The other nominees are the Reverend Robert Balgarnie, Eileen Colwell, who helped establish children's rooms in libraries, cricketer David Hunter, engineer Harry W Smith, photographer Frank Meadow Sutcliffe, and former mayor Thomas Whittaker.

Developer John Wilkes Unett, Sir John Wilson, who founded the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind, Viv Wright, a campaigner for the blind, and Stephen Joseph, who was involved in theatre, are also nominated.

They will now have their worthiness as local heroes put to the test in front of a jury at three hearings in Scarborough and Whitby in February and March.

The heroes surviving the trials will feature in an exhibition at the Rotunda Museum, Scarborough, in July.

All the heroes nominated will feature on an interactive CD, which will be available free to libraries, schools and groups.

The project was launched at the Rotunda Museum in October, and is being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

For more information, go to www.scarboroughlocalheroes. co.uk