HEREFORDSHIRE is on the right track with its bid to attract walkers to "the most beautiful county in England," says Michael Buerk.

The BBC newsman and his Hereford-born wife, Christine, who are both keen walkers, were in Ledbury on Monday to open the 154-mile Herefordshire Trail.

The couple were greeted at a reception before donning their walking boots to sample a few miles of the new trail, which links all five county market towns.

Mr Buerk praised the initiative and autographed copies of the 96-page illustrated trail guide, published by the Hereford Group of the Ramblers Association.

Two other special guests were among the walkers.

Ross Ramblers member Lesley Ward, 72, and Jet, her little black rescue dog, were the first walkers to have completed the trail. Before the guide was published in book form, they spent 11 days on the trail raising £1,000 for St Michael's Hospice.

Sights along the trail include beautiful Dore Abbey and the famous stone carvings of Kilpeck Church. The guide is available from tourist information centres.