EXTREME sports, horseriding and golfing could be the key to attract tourists to "forgotten" east Cleveland.

A tourism task force to spearhead a wide-ranging initiative to bring business to the area, is being recommended in a report published this week.

It aims to develop east Cleveland as a new tourist destination by encouraging such activities as hiking, horseriding, cycling, golfing and extreme sports.

A forum is being set up made up of people from the community, local businesses and councils, to draw up a tourism strategy.

It also suggests that tourism can be stimulated by increasing the number of registered bed and breakfast places, creating more tourist information centres, improved signposting and highlighting the area's natural beauty and attractions on an internet site.

Eric Jackson, Redcar and Cleveland's new mayor, said he now intends to use his civic year to promote tourism in the area.

He said: "East Cleveland is an untapped market, but the Cleveland Way comes through the area and there a number of smaller walks.

"I welcome this initiative and look forward to working to develop it.

"This is an area of contrasts, we have the cliffs and five minutes later you can be on the moors. How many other areas have that?

"The area is steeped in history and it has a lot to offer."

The report, by John Jewitt of the Tees Valley Rural Community Council, who, sadly, died last year, concludes that tourism can play a major factor in regenerating an area that has experienced problems of deprivation since the demise of the ironstone mining industry.

Many villages in the area qualify for Single Regeneration Budget and other sources of European funding, which could be used to attract visitors to spend time - and money - in east Cleveland.

The report also recommends that the tourism strategy examines ways to combat dirt, litter, vandalism and anti social-behaviour in the towns and villages, as well as improving the transport system.

A meeting of the tourism forum will take place in six months' time, to see how much progress is being made on the report's recommendations.