AMBITIOUS plans to build a £1m "wobbly" suspension bridge across the River Tees to draw tourists to the region has taken a step closer to reality.

The first meeting of the project group set up to discuss proposals to build a 500ft rope bridge high above the Tees near Barnard Castle, County Durham, has taken place, and members are confident it will be a success.

Marketing bosses in Teesdale hope to attract thousands of visitors a year to the area, and give the local economy a massive boost as it recovers from the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

The project is the idea of Chris Dauber, co-founder of Teesdale Marketing, and will be based on the world-famous Capilano suspension bridge, in Vancouver, Canada.

Engineering experts at Cleveland Bridge have drafted a drawing of the planned bridge, to give people an idea of how it might look.

If approved, the bridge would replace a former railway viaduct and would have a span of about 560ft, at a height of about 150ft above the Tees.

It is planned to incorporate the attraction into a ten-mile circular walk around Barnard Castle.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Dauber said: "This was very much an initial, cards-on-the-table type meeting.

"While we still have a long way to go, the mood of the meeting was positive and the group plans to meet again before long."

One of the biggest obstacles is the issue of land ownership, but Mr Dauber is confident any problems can be resolved.

He is also confident of gaining sufficient funding for the project, which he hopes to complete in the next two years.

As part of the consultation process, the public will be invited to complete a questionnaire in Barnard Castle Tourist Information Centre during the Easter weekend.