RIBBLE Valley tourism bosses have produced 25,000 copies of a glossy guide to meet demand for information about the area from would-be visitors and Tolkien enthusiasts worldwide.

retail outlets in and around Clitheroe will also stock 20,000 copies of a special fold-out map, produced by community group Clitheroe the Future, in a bid to give the area's tourism a further boost.

Interest in the rural borough has shot up since the making of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien was a regular visitor to Stonyhurst College and the surrounding countryside is believed to be the inspiration for Middle Earth. Ribble Valley Borough Council tourism and arts officer Jane Silvester said: "The number of tourism enquiries since the Lord of the Rings trilogy has been phenomenal. We now receive enquiries from throughout the world, particularly from Tolkien and genealogy enthusiasts.

"The guide reflects the area's idyllic rural lifestyle and we hope it will encourage people to take a break in this beautiful and peaceful part of the country."

The 32-page guide outlines attractions and activities in the area and promotes short breaks. So far copies have been sent as far away as New Zealand and the United States, as well as to other tourist information centres across Britain.

Featured in the guide is Dunsop Bridge, which was named the exact centre of the kingdom by Ordnance Survey, and picturesque Downham was the location for Sir Richard Attenborough's award winning film Whistle Down the Wind, and latterly the BBC's Born and Bred.

Clitheroe the Future's fold-out map will run in conjuction with the guide and will be available throughout the town's shops, hotels and petrol stations.

The group's project manager Richard Jackson said: "The fold-out map is aimed at retailers to help them assist the town's visitors and encourage them to return to the area for a longer stay."