THE UK's leading supplier of antique and traditional furniture has shed the industry's dusty image by opening an online trading site on the Internet.

Tomlinsons of Tockwith, near York, was inundated with 40,000 visitors to its website www.antique-furniture.co.uk.

The site, which was developed by NetConstruct of Wetherby, has enabled Tomlinsons to open its collection of antiques and reproduction furniture to a worldwide audience.

The number of visitors is equivalent to 500 shoppers a day visiting its Tockwith showrooms, which contain more than 5,000 items of furniture at any one time.

Mike Grant, marketing manager for Tomlinsons, said: "It is clear to us that we are filling a gap in the market and that e-commerce is going to play a big part in the growth and expansion of our business."