THERE are indications that the tourist season in Ludlow has got off to a flying start.

A touring caravan park on the edge of the town is reporting a record start to the new season.

The number of caravans and motorhomes staying at Ludlow Touring Park during February was big increase on the same month in 2016, which was a record-breaking year last year.

All 115 pitches are booked for Easter, Ludlow Spring Festival on May 13 and 14 and Ludlow Food and Drink Festival from September 8-10 and there is limited availability for school half-term week in May.

Located on a 20-acre site alongside the River Teme and A49 near Richards Castle, the touring park is a prestigious affiliated site of The Caravan Club which opened in 2012.

The park generates an estimated £2 million a year for Ludlow and the surrounding area by attracting thousands of caravan and motorhome owners to the town.

Karen Price, who manages the park with her husband, David, is convinced that word of the great location and facilities is spreading among touring caravan and motorhome owners.

“People are staying here, telling their friends and the word is spreading,” she said.

“We are finding that existing customers are bringing friends when they return. The local bus service is also a massive plus for the park because motorhome owners, particularly, prefer to use public transport rather than driving into town.”

Owner Morris Leisure is now developing a static caravan holiday home park with 36 pitches alongside the touring park and has already sold the first home. First phase of the work has created 20 pitches and Mrs Price said there had been a very enthusiastic response from prospective customers to the new development.