TOURISM chiefs in York fear the city could lose hundreds of thousands of pounds over the Bank Holiday weekend, thanks to a planned rail strike.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, said the city would be the "innocent victims" as the Rail, Maritime and Transport union again gears up for tomorrow's strikes.

Arriva Trains Northern conductors will hold a 24-hour walkout in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions. The company will run a limited service.

Station and Clerical staff at ATN are striking today and tomorrow.

With engineering work on the East Coast Main Line also disrupting GNER services between Newark and Doncaster, Mrs Cruddas fears that many tourists will think twice before coming to York tomorrow.

She revealed that about 20 per cent of visitors to York travel by train and said the strikes were bound to hit the city hard on what was usually "a bumper day".

Mrs Cruddas said: "We are extremely disappointed at the damage that will be done to the local economy and the negative spin-offs. We are the innocent victims. If people have a bad experience then they think twice about coming to York. Accessibility is one of the most important factors when deciding to have a day out. This could lose hundreds of thousands to the local economy."

A City of York Council spokesman said: "Clearly this is not good for the city. However, it is a matter for Arriva Trains Northern and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union."

The RMT today was unrepentant. Allen Heath, regional organiser, said: "Our dispute is not with passengers, or anyone else, but with the company. If people have a problem with the union, they should go to the company and get them to settle the case."

Despite the fears, hotels and guest houses in the city were still reporting a brisk trade in the run-up to the weekend.

Maureen Brown, proprietor of Elliotts, in Sycamore Place, said they were fully booked. "We have a couple of rooms on Sunday night but we are enjoying busy times at the moment and no-one has cancelled yet."

At the Grange Hotel, in Bootham, a spokeswoman said: "We have only got a few rooms left. There have been a lot of last-minute decision makers. We have had a lot of inquiries about this weekend."

York services to Scarborough will be affected by tomorow's strike action, but tourism chiefs at the seaside resort were unconcerned.

Mike Wilkinson, Scarborough Borough Council's head of marketing and development, said: "Scarborough is enjoying a very busy summer season with thousands of visitors already enjoying a trip to the seaside and we are confident that many, many more will join us for all that is on offer this weekend."

Updated: 11:42 Friday, August 23, 2002