WORCESTER is set to enter gaming history today as the city version of the classic Monopoly board game finally hits the shelves Staff for the family favourite spent a day in the city earlier this year quizzing shoppers on what landmarks should appear in the Worcester version of the game.

Now, six months on, the game has gone on sale and Monopoly Worcester promoter Graham Barnes said that they had collossal demand for it and expected it to sell in its thousands.

A restricted number of the limited edition board game is being printed and Mr Barnes added that they had interest for it from former Worcester residents from as far afield as China, Australia and Canada who had heard about it on the internet.

He said: "It's fantastic that Worcester has finally passed go. It's been a lovely six months listening to all the great suggestions from the Worcester public, including many of the readers of the Worcester News.

"Many of those suggestions are now on the board itself which is in high demand in the city. We reckon the only one left on Christmas Eve will be the one on Santa's sleigh."

The Worcester landmarks on the new board game - which is on sale at various city stores - include the Cathedral, Worcester Sauce Factory and Worcestershire County Cricket Ground.

The University of Worcester, The Guildhall, Worcester Racecourse, the River Severn and the Swan Theatre are among the other city landmarks taking pride of place on the board. The Worcester News and the Berrows Journal are also represented.

Meanwhile, we reported previously how the game's makers were considering replacing Go to Jail' with Go to Hereford' following suggestions by some of the city's residents.

However, Mr Barnes said they had decided to keep the four corner squares as per the original version of the game.

Earlier this month, we reported how the game's makers were running a competition to give away copies of the new game to five lucky people with a Worcester postcode who have their birthday on the same day as the game's launch date.

One of the winners is Oldbury Park School pupil Kirstie Emery, who lives at Greenford Gardens, off Martley Road, Worcester, and is nine today.

Her mum Lisa said: "She was really excited about it and we had a game of it on Tuesday evening which she really enjoyed."

Monopoly Worcester is to sell at a recommended retail price of £24.99.