MORE must be done to promote Selby to prevent it being overshadowed by York, the leader of the town council has said.

Although the Selby District Council website has a section dedicated to tourist information for the district, anyone who clicks on the link to view tourist attractions in Selby is taken to the Visit York website instead.

The site does offer minimal information about some areas of the town, including four sentences about Selby Abbey, and details about the Selby to York TransPennine Trail, but the entries for Selby Market, the cricket club, and War Memorial Hospital lead simply to an apology – “Sorry, venue not found”.

Coun Steve Shaw-Wright said: “It’s directing people away from the town, and towards York.

“If you click on Harrogate, you get Harrogate; East Riding, you get East Riding information. So why not links to Selby B&Bs?

“Anybody wishing to visit Selby has a hard time on the Visit York website finding Selby accommodation. The town council is going to launch a new website very shortly, with dedicated links to any B&B or accommodation provider who wants to be on it. We’re also quite happy to make a web presence for anyone who doesn’t have one.”

Local historian David Lewis said more should be made of Selby’s unique heritage and selling points.

Mr Lewis said: “It seems very odd, and something should be done about it.”

It's nonsense that if you want to visit Selby you are told to visit York.

"Anything that brings money into the the town can't be a bad thing, and we're not going to revitalise things by sending people out of town."

A spokesman for Selby District Council said they were aware of the issue, and would be happy to add additional information or links as required, providing they were independently run and regularly updated.

THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN SELBY

1. Selby Abbey
2. Bank Holiday Markets
3. Cawood Castle
4. Barlow Common Nature Reserve
5. Cochrane & Sons Shipyard.