WITH the splendour of stately homes and the dizzy heights of the highest pub in England, North Yorkshire has proved a real marriage hotspot.

The county ranks joint first for civil weddings with Cornwall, in the latest figures to be published by the Office for National Statistics.

Official figures for the county show a six per cent increase in the number of ceremonies held in the past year - compared to a national increase of just half of one per cent.

Among the most sought-after venues for couples to tie the knot have been Ripley Castle, near Harrogate, the Stephen Joseph Theatre, at Scarborough, and the Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in England.

North Yorkshire's head of trading standards and regulatory services, Stuart Pudney, said: "Once again, North Yorkshire is being shown to be the most popular place for couples to tie the knot.

"Over the past few years, the county council has put a lot of effort into promoting North Yorkshire as the place to get married and, clearly, these efforts are paying off."

He added: "It might seem cynical to say this, but the fact is that marriage is big business.

"If we attract just 100 extra couples to come to North Yorkshire for their weddings, then this can put half a million pounds into the local economy.