Tourism bosses in 'another fine mess'

Tourism bosses made a 'fine mess' by printing 50,000 copies of a brochure claiming comedian Stan Laurel was born in their county. County Durham tourism office claimed he was born in Bishop Auckland when in fact he was born Ulverston, Cumbria. Bosses have now apologised for the blunder but said they cannot correct the mistake on the leaflet and map because of funding restrictions.

Depending on stocks and funding, an updated version will not be reproduced until around autumn next year. The leaflet says: "Bet you didn't know that Bishop Auckland was the birthplace of Arthur Stanley Jefferson, better known as Stan Laurel." Stan has a bronze statue in Bishop Auckland town centre celebrating the fact he lived there in early life after leaving Ulverston as a child, where he had been born in 1890. Stan, who became famous as one half of comedy double act Laurel and Hardy with Oliver Hardy, moved to America in 1910.



A copy of Stan's birth certificate proving his Ulverston heritage is displayed in the Laurel and Hardy Museum. Craig Wilson, Visit County Durham marketing manager, said it was an honest mistake, and added: "It seems that urban myth has perpetuated an error in the Bishop Auckland town visitor map. Stan Laurel was baptised at St Peter's Church and schooled at King James Grammar in Bishop Auckland.

"His parents also ran the local theatre, but he was of course born in Ulverston. I guess Bishop Auckland is as proud of its connections with Stan as Ulverston is passionate about it being his birthplace. We're obviously both trying to lay claim to some of the Laurel and Hardy magic. Hopefully this will allow us to make it clearer about Stan's early years and allow both Ulverston and Bishop Auckland to share some of Stan's limelight."