MORE than 5,000 people visited Blaenavon to make its launch as Britain's newest booktown a resounding success.

The launch coincided with the town's third annual World Heritage Day on Saturday, commemorating the achievement in November 2000 of the town being awarded World Heritage status.

People from all over Wales browsed and bought books in the nine newly opened shops that are set to help revitalise the local economy.

The town, immortalised in print as the setting for Alexander Cordell's Rape of the Fair Country, is now primed to become a literary centre to rival Herefordshire's Hay-on-Wye.

The new traders, who have invested between £6,000 and £15,000 in their ventures, said they had had a good day. Some took more than £250 in the first two hours of opening.

Joanne Chambers, who along with Lata Griffith-Unny opened Broadleaf Books, in Broad Street, specialising in natural history, photography and design, said business was fantastic.

She added: "The shop was constantly full."

Further up the street, mind, spirit and body book specialist Louise Rockett, 33, estimated she had sold £150 worth of books.

The owner of Cobwebz said: "Business has been good. There's been a steady flow of people coming in and buying books."

The opening of the bookshops took place just five months after the idea was first suggested by American James Hanna, of Booktowns International.

Mr Hanna said he is amazed by Saturday's success, and added that five more shops are in the pipeline.

He said: "From the first meeting I felt it was going to happen. The response was so good. It will go from strength to strength now. We feel we have built a foundation, and other people are prepared to come and take a shot where they wouldn't before."

Robert Evans, chairman of Blaenavon town council, is confident the new traders will enable the town, which has a population of 6,500, to flourish again.

He said: "Blaenavon as a booktown is very important because it is revitalising the town. It's bringing other people along. It's really exciting."

* Pictured, Craig Mead, left, and Jason Price, provide the power for two towering individuals at World Heritage Day in Blaenavon on Sunday