YORK'S St Nicholas Fayre has been hailed as one of the best ever - with more than 140,000 visitors coming to the city over the course of the four-day event.

The annual event, which took place during the last weekend in November, is thought to have brought in more than £5 million to the city from visitors.

City of York Council today said that figure includes money spent on car parking, Park&Ride, other bus services and hotel occupancy coupled with visitor spending.

More than 20,000 tourists arrived on the 450 coach trips to York during the St Nicholas Fayre, with the authority putting in a special traffic management scheme to help drop-offs and pick-ups.

A further 70,000 people came to York by train, car or bus, and it is thought that about 50,000 residents of York and the surrounding area also visited the city centre.

The event was praised by council leader Steve Galloway, who said he was "delighted" the event "has proved to be such a success."

The St Nicholas Fayre was only one aspect of the busy programme of events and activities that takes place in York each year under the banner of Yuletide York.

The council today said the ultimate impact on retailing in the city will be even greater, with further festival markets planned for the next two weekends.

Coun Galloway said: "I am delighted that the St Nicholas Fayre has proved to be such a success. York City centre has seemed buoyant throughout most of the autumn.

"This is one of the fruits of an increasingly effective partnership between retailers and the City Council.

"The range of events and special shopping opportunities seen over recent months also means that York residents benefit from a wider range of leisure and shopping choices than the indigenous population could sustain on its own.

"This bodes well for the future health of the York economy and the high employment levels that this will support."

Updated: 10:24 Friday, December 16, 2005