TOURISM in the Vale will receive a boost with the launch of a new pleasure boat in Evesham tomorrow.

The 70ft boat, the Spirit of Freedom on Avon, is fitted with lifts to help people with mobility difficulties enjoy the river at close quarters for the first time.

It will also be the venue for asparagus suppers over the coming bank holiday weekend, giving lovers of the local speciality something to compensate for the cancellation of the town's asparagus festival this year.

The boat will also be the venue for private parties, heritage and ecology trips and themed dinners - including special events to coincide with the Eastern Festival and Medieval weekend later this summer.

The boat will initially run between Evesham and Pershore, but it is hoped that it will soon be making trips in the opposite direction to Bidford and possibly beyond.

Regular services will run most weekends, with a 'lock experience' promised on every journey.

Geraldine Cooper, of Avon Leisure Cruises Ltd., said: "It should be good for tourism in the Vale, particularly because there is nothing else catering for disabled people on the river Avon."

Erica Hudson, tourism information and heritage centre manager, said: "What they are doing sounds really exciting and I think it will encourage more people to visit Evesham and the Vale. I am particularly pleased they are doing something to compensate for the cancellation of the asparagus festival."

The boat will be launched by Peter Luff MP from the Waterside Gardens tomorrow at 1.30pm.