YORKBOAT, the fleet of sightseeing, restaurant and party boats which plies the River Ouse in York, is being sold.

Owner Denise Howard confirmed today that the business, including its fleet of five large boats and the smaller Redboat flotilla, was being sold as a going concern.

YorkBoat, the largest fleet of its type outside London, has won numerous accolades and awards over the years.

Mrs Howard was awarded the OBE for services to York and Yorkshire's tourism industry in April last year.

Based near Lendal Bridge, YorkBoat employs 22 permanent staff, with an additional 30 employees between March and October.

The main fleet consists of the Captain James Cook, the River Palace, River Prince, River Duchess and River Countess.

Mrs Howard said her reasons for selling up were personal.

"At this minute we are just in the final stages. The staff will not be affected.

"It will be the same in every way except that John and I will not be there."

Denise's husband, John, bought the White Rose Line, as it was named then, from his father, Len, 14 years ago.

The fleet was expanded, and the couple also bought out Hills boatyard next to the Guildhall, including the Lendal bridge slipway, workshops, offices and a 200-year-old Ouse-side cottage into which they moved.

Honours won by the business included one for innovation in the York Tourism Employer of Distinction Awards in 1992, the British Tourist Authority's Winning Words Award, and the White Rose Award for Tourism in Yorkshire and Humberside.

In 2000 it was hailed as the Best City Tour in the York Tourism Awards and in 2001 was declared a Quality Assured Visitor Attraction by the English Tourism Council.

Mrs Howard, a former chairman of the York Tourism Bureau, is a marketing expert with a degree in leisure and tourism.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, today paid tribute to YorkBoat: "Its contribution to the York tourist product has been exceptional, both in terms of raising the profile of the river and its attractions and the provision of excellent customer service to York's visitors."

Updated: 10:47 Tuesday, June 24, 2003