A POPULAR guide who leads ghost walks around Cumbria and Lancashire is in the running to be named the country's 'Tourism Superstar'.

Simon Entwistle, who has been telling spooky stories for a living for more than 15 years, was nominated to be Visit England’s award-winner by Marketing Lancashire for his role as ghost guide and supernatural story-teller at Samlesbury Hall.

As well as regular tours around Towneley Hall and Pendle Hill, Simon leads walks around Kendal, looking at some of the most interesting characters from the town's history.

He is pitted against competition from nine other ‘tourism champions’ from some of the country’s leading attractions. Among them are tour guides Colleen Davanney and Wayne Grimston, from the Jorvik Viking Centre in York and Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire respectively.

Other nominees represent Exbury Gardens in the New Forest, the National Maritime Museum in Cornwall, Durham’s Beamish Museum and the Museum of London Docklands in London.

Visit England said the accolade’s announcement would mark English Tourism Week in March.

Anyone who votes will also be in the running to win a weekend break for two in Brighton.

Visit http://bit.ly/11UqANQ for more information.