A NEW government quango has dropped a clanger over a major Yorkshire tourist attraction in 10,000 consultation brochures which have just been distributed.

The Yorkshire cultural consortium brochure shows a picture of Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, but tells readers it's really Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale.

In reality, Bolton Abbey, which failed to gain pictorial recognition in the full colour brochure, sits amid woodland and meadows alongside the River Wharfe. It was once described as Yorkshire's gentlest ruin.

Meanwhile, Fountains Abbey, which inadvertently stole Bolton's pictorial thunder, is instantly recognised in the brochure, standing firmly in its splendid setting in the narrow wooded valley of the River Skell. Fountains, which now has World Heritage Site status, is said in Mr Arthur Mee's book on Yorkshire to be "unsurpassed in loveliness among all the ruins of England."

Sadly, those putting the brochure together failed to recognise the difference between the two jewels in Yorkshire's historical crown.

Consortium secretary Mr Bernard McLoughlin, based at the Yorkshire and Humber government office in Leeds, said the error had been pointed out once the brochure had been produced.

"It was just one of those things. This was an agency picture supplied to us and it was wrongly captioned." But he gave a pledge that the error would not be repeated.

Asked if there would be a correction in a future publication, Mr McLoughlin said: "I've no strong feeling either way on that."

The quango has been set up by the government as part of its policy to devolve decision making to the regions under the guidance of Culture Minister Mr Chris Smith. Representatives of the 20-strong consortium have already been chosen and they are supported by a 12-strong officer advisory group.

Its publication has been distributed to "stakeholders" including local authorities, cultural agencies, tourist officials, museums, libraries and art galleries.

The consortium wants responses to its suggestions for a Yorkshire cultural strategy. A vision includes growth across various strands of cultural life including the arts, heritage, leisure, sports, entertainment and tourism.

Meanwhile, the strategy aims to identify how the region's cultural profile can be enhanced in the local, national and international arenas. And the consortium wants to enable individuals, local groups and professional organisations across the area to co-operate effectively in promoting their own contribution to Yorkshire cultural life.

But Mr McLoughlin stressed the consultation paper was not intended for the general public, but to secure responses by the end of August from stakeholders