A York-based tourism attractions company has been shortlisted for another two awards.

The Continuum Group, in Margaret Street, York, is in the finals of the UK Museums And Heritage Show Awards For Excellence.

It is in the running for the title of Best Marketing Campaign for the opening of The Real Mary King's Close - the new attraction devised by Continuum in the spooky closes underneath Edinburgh. Since it opened last April, it has attracted 120,000 visitors, double the number predicted.

The same attraction, in which the City of Edinburgh Council invested £500,000 to design, interpret and market those hidden streets where people lived, worked and died between the 16th and 19th centuries, is also in line for winning the Project On A Limited Budget category.

Already, The Real Mary King's Close has earned two accolades - the 2004 Oddity Of The Year, by the Good Britain Guide, and Best Website at the recent Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions awards.

The Edinburgh venture, which Continuum not only designed but now operates and manages, was so successful that it inspired Dominic Tweddle, its chief executive, to open a Scottish base nearby.

The two-day Museums And Heritage Show will be held at London's Earls Court, starting on Wednesday, and the awards will be presented that evening at the Caf Royal, London.

Updated: 11:03 Monday, May 10, 2004