THE Grand Depart of the Tour de France raked in £12.5 million for Calderdale, according to a report.

Research by Welcome to Yorkshire, commissioned by Calderdale Council, probed the economic and social impact of the Tour, which went through Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Ripponden and Greetland as part of stage two in July last year.

The Calderdale leg was watched by 340,000 people.

A total of £2.8m was spent on accommodation, including hotels and B&Bs, with a further £9.3m spent by visitors during the event. Approximately 160,000 spectators travelled into Calderdale from other areas to watch the race, while two per cent were from overseas. An extra £200,000 was brought into Calderdale by the Yorkshire Festival, which attracted visitors to view and participate in an extensive arts and cultural events programme in the 100-day build-up to the Grand Depart.

Councillor Stephen Baines, Calderdale Council Leader, said: “I’m delighted by these findings, which show the clear benefits that participation in the Tour de France brought to Calderdale. “This can be measured both in terms of the immediate impact on our local economy and, in the longer term, the legacy.”