AN organisation set up to help to kick-start a market town's flagging economy is claiming it has made significant headway in its first 12 months.

The new millennium began badly for Richmond, when the floods of 2000 washed away the town's Mercury Bridge, severing the main road to Catterick Garrison.

The local business community estimated it lost millions of pounds as people from the British Army's largest base travelled elsewhere rather than follow diversions to other crossings over the River Swale.

The foot-and-mouth crisis followed in 2001 and traders recorded another abysmal summer in 2002 with a lack of shoppers and tourists.

As a result, the Richmond Town Centre Forum launched a drive to attract new retailers to the town in March this year - and is claiming to have reduced the number of empty town centre shop units from 19 to ten.

The long, hot summer has also helped to boost tourism, with a 20 per cent increase in visitor numbers recorded between April and September.

Town manager Colin Grant said: "We want the town of Richmond to be an attractive location for retailers and a year ago it was difficult to give a visually attractive proposition to any prospective retailers.

"Now, thanks to new retailers moving into the town and initiatives like the Georgian Theatre Royal refurbishment, we are pleased to have a more vibrant and attractive town centre with far fewer empty units.

"We are continuing to work hard to attract more quality retailers into Richmond and firmly believe that with visitor numbers up and the town looking more alive, we will continue to see great development.

"It's been a great summer season and many retailers say that they have had the best year they can remember."

Another new initiative, introduced this year, was the Richmond Retail Excellence awards, which aim to recognise businesses which have made a real effort to offer a quality service.

The competition will now be held every year to help to create competition among shops and businesses and to help to generate improved customer service.

Richmond also hopes to build on a recent survey which placed the town in the top ten places to live in the UK.