Tourists turned out to the Lakes in their droves for Bank Holiday weekend with many hotels and B&Bs booked out.

Despite predictions of foul weather and traffic chaos, sunny weather lured thousands of tourists to the Lake District.

Public relations manager for Cumbria Tourist Board Paul Gardner said the weekend had boosted an already buoyant year.

"All the early signs are that tourism businesses across the county had a good Bank Holiday weekend," he said. "Tourism in Cumbria has got off to a very positive start this year and occupancy levels have been at their highest since the figures were first recorded in 1997."

Bill Smith, chairman of the Lakes Hospitality Group which represents around 250 businesses in the national park - agreed: "It's been a buoyant weekend for the industry. There were a few empty beds on Friday but from Saturday onwards it has been very busy."

While many were warned to avoid the region's roads, foreboding predictions of Bank Holiday hold-ups failed to materialise according to Cumbria police press officer Greg Stephenson.

He said there was some congestion on the A590 due to Cartmel Races but otherwise it was an "average" Bank Holiday weekend with 12 road traffic accidents on South Lakeland roads many of which were minor.

In the most serious of the weekend's road accidents, nine people were injured in a ten-vehicle pile-up on the M6 on Saturday morning. The accident near junction 39 saw the northbound carriageway closed for nearly four hours with the injured taken to the Cumberland Infirmary, in Carlisle.

Also on Saturday evening an 18-year-old man escaped injury when his Vauxhall Nova crashed through barriers on Kendal's Aynam Road, while on Monday a 23-year-old Harrogate motorcyclist was taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary after he was in collision with with a car on the A591 at Grasmere.

As tourists headed for the famous fells, Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team members were called out to a canine rescue on Monday. The team helped to rehydrate a dehydrated Bernese Mountain Dog on Birkhouse Moor, above Glenridding, before being called off to rescue an 80-year-old Nottingham man from Swirral Edge, below the summit of Helvellyn, after he injured his knee.

In Coniston, a 45-year-old woman was airlifted from Brown Pike to Furness General Hospital, in Barrow, after fracturing her leg.

Bank Holiday weekend also saw the extensive engineering works on the West Coast Main Line disrupting trains between London and Glasgow. But David Ewart, spokesman for Virgin Trains, said things appeared to have gone smoothly as passengers heeded advice and took alternative routes.

High jinx in the Eden Valley saw Orton's award-winning New Village Tearoom take first prize at the scarecrow festival with its Mad Hatter's tea party display.