THE LEAFY surroundings of Menston Station could soon become the base for a state-of-the-art business with computer training.

Former college lecturer and IT expert Alison Barraclough has set up a caf and

Internet facility at the station - and now hopes to offer a full computer training service in the village.

Mrs Barraclough, of Halifax, said the station makes an ideal base for the business, West Riding.Com, as visitors can easily get there from Leeds and Bradford by train.

The shop is the second computer business to set up in the station. The unique Passion Internet Shop opened after the station's multi-thousand pound revamp.

Sadly, the shop closed several months ago, and rail operator Northern Spirit has been looking for a another tenant to support the technology-led revamp of the station.

But Mrs Barraclough said her business is already proving popular, and hopes the computer training centre will attract not only people from businesses in the valley, but also further afield.

She said: "I've had people in at half past seven in the morning wanting to use the Internet, and I've had foreign nationals coming in to send e-mails home."

She also intends to set up weekend courses, and discrete computer training, where

instructors can train people in their own homes.

The centre's offices will also be available for occasional use by people who run businesses from their own homes.