Millions of pounds in public money is being wasted on ill-fated visitor attractions at the expense of local tourist draws, it is claimed.

Leading figures in Keighley's tourism industry allege that a glut of so-called interactive glitzy draws is strangling other attractions.

Among the local attractions which have seen visitor numbers fall are the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, East Riddlesden Hall and the Bront Parsonage Museum at Haworth.

Growing Sunday trading has also been blamed for further contributing to a dramatic fall in attendance figures at once-heaving local museums and visitor centres.

The government is being called on to give more help to well-established attractions.

Graham Mitchell, who has just stood down after 12 years as chairman of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, is angry at the amount of cash pumped into glamorous ventures which then fold or struggle.

He cites as classic examples the now-closed Transperience museum at Bradford and projects such as the National Centre for Popular Music in Sheffield, Doncaster's Earth Centre and the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

His concerns are echoed by Carolyn Spencer, of Bronte Country Tourism, who says the Yorkshire Tourist Board is lobbying for more European funding to be used to develop established attractions.

Mr Mitchell told us: "When you look at the amount of money - around £11 million - ploughed into the National Centre for Popular Music, then see administrators called in, it causes sheer frustration. What others could have done with that sort of finance!

"The more of these things we get opening up, the more it dilutes the visitor figures at all attractions.

"On the K&WVR we have seen a consistent fall in annual visitor figures from 160,000 a decade ago to 114,000 last year. It is not because we are doing anything wrong. What tends to happen is you get a glossy exaggerated consultants' report, and then none of these places fulfil expectations. They struggle badly, or go under like Transperience. It is largely public money being thrown at these ventures and I feel attractions which have proved their worth - like the Parsonage Museum, heritage railways and National Trust venues - should get more help."

He adds that Sunday trading has also had a devastating effect on the K&WVR, with passenger figures for that day half what they used to be. He says: "Shopping on Sundays has become a family activity, and people are now going to supermarkets and retail parks rather than tourist attractions. Unfortunately we have got to live with that."

Keighley MP Ann Cryer supports his comments on the effects on tourism of Sunday trading.

And she says there must be democratic accountability when money is given to attractions.

She told us: "It is appalling what happened with Transperience. My late husband Bob was one of the initiators of this project and was very keen on it, but it went in the wrong direction. He was disappointed with what happened - he was very eager to have something like the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, but with trams and buses.

"Money should not be going to places such as the Royal Armouries to the detriment of the K&WVR, and I don't think it is. It is a wonderful railway and I am certain it's future is assured. It is the interests of Keighley that it prospers and I would urge local people to support it

"Sunday trading is certainly having an effect on tourist attractions, but I hope that eventually when some of the novelty wears off people might revert to old habits."

Visitor figures slumped last year at some local tourism hotspots. The Bront Parsonage Museum had about 82,000 people through its doors - 6,000 down on the previous year - while East Riddlesden Hall saw its visitor tally drop by 5,000 to 25,157.

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