THE glorious weather has brought visitors flooding to Worcestershire, with last weekend pronounced the county's busiest this year.

Events such as the start of the start of the city's first festival and the cricket match against Lancashire, both on Saturday, coupled with brilliant sunshine, have brought people flocking to the Faithful City.

A survey by the Evening News revealed the majority of tourism-related businesses are seeing an upsurge in trade on last year, which is expected to continue until at least the end of the school holidays.

Worcester Tourist Information Centre said the city's accommodation was practically full to capacity.

"Certainly we were very busy all of last week," said Michelle Phillips, tourist centre manager.

"Obviously the weather is bringing people out. It's certainly going to be very busy this week as well."

The centre, in the High Street, has been packed with about 400 people a day, enquiring about activities and accommodation in the area.

The majority of visitors are from England but a lot of foreign visitors are coming over to improve their English as well as work experience students from the twin towns of Kleve in Germany and Le Vesinet in France.

Since the beginning of June the centre has dealt with 4,500 enquiries and assisted more than 800 overseas visitors.

"A lot of people come to visit Worcester just for the day and they have decided to stay over because we have so many events going on," said Mrs Phillips.

"I know from speaking to staff at attractions in the area that they are experiencing a pick-up in trade.

"It's great news for Worcester."

Severn Valley Railway has been busy recently, with people abandoning the beach in favour of a trip on a steam train.

Staff at Worcester's Giffard Hotel, in the High Street, have been rushed off their feet with people attending the cricket and other recent events.

Elsewhere in the county, thousands of people have been flocking to Bewdley's West Midland Safari Park, with visitor levels up on last year.

"Normally this weather causes visitor levels to drop off as people go to the coast or stay in the garden but this year they're still coming in their droves," said head warden Bob Lawrence.

And Barbara-Ann Melville-Smith spokeswoman at The Malvern Hills Hotel, on Wynds Point, said business had been high, particularly over the past week.

"It's been very busy recently but that's partly because of where we are situated," she said.

"We get a lot of locals coming up onto the hills and they ending up coming to us."

n People are shunning the beach in favour of weekend breaks in Worcestershire during the heatwave - Severn Valley Railway is just one attraction seeing a rise in visitor numbers.