George Pickles says he wants to use his influence to promote Ripon and tap into the huge amount of potential visitors in West Yorkshire and the North East.

Ripon Ring, an organisation made up of major attractions in the area, is also throwing its weight behind the idea.

Mr Pickles explained: "Ripon Ring is keen to see me do more to promote the city, which I am very willing to do, but what I can do is dictated by the council. I have to work within the rules and there are some strict rules in my contract."

Ripon City Council dictates the Hornblower must only sound the horn at his nightly setting of the watch on the market place and outside the mayor's house. Also, the horn may only be taken outside the city with the permission of the full council.

In his four years as Hornblower, Mr Pickles has done much to promote the position. The introduction of the Hornblower's lucky wooden penny, given out to market square visitors during the 9pm ceremony has proved a success. And earlier this year Mr Pickles featured on a CD recording of a folk song about the Hornblower.

Do More

"I would love to do more," he said: "We have been very successful with the lucky pennies but I feel I can do more if I was given more slack.

"One thing I have in mind is to go outside the city to schools and institutions and talk about Ripon and encourage people to come to Ripon in large numbers."

Mr Pickles is also keen to greet coaches arriving in Ripon, handing out information to visitors while wearing the famous uniform.

"Throughout West Yorkshire and up in Newcastle you have millions of people within an hour of Ripon," he said. "It's all there for the picking."

Demand

"You cannot create demand but you can go out and get a share of demand which exists. It's simple business."

Bernard Bateman, chair of Ripon Ring, said: "I think the Hornblower is the face of Ripon throughout the world and whenever he is around he attracts great attention. But that's limited to nine o' clock every evening.

"It would be useful if we could arrange for him to be wandering round on market day and other occasions.

"George Pickles is a very pro-active person and the Hornblower is a major tradition in our city and I think it's important we use him, without destroying the prestige of the position."

The Mayor of Ripon, Coun Sid Hawke said he wanted the issue to be discussed by the council in the near future.

He added: "Anything to do with promoting Ripon I am in favour of - as long as he doesn't use the horn."