BRIDPORT is to set the trend for market towns across the country.

The town is one of only nine chosen by the Countryside Agency - and the only one in the south west - to be named as a Beacon Town to spearhead a programme tackling the challenges facing small towns in rural areas.

The nine towns across the country have been chosen from more than 200 involved in the agency's Market Towns Initiative.

Bridport was selected mainly because of its development of a thriving local food sector, which is seen as offering a model from which other towns can benefit.

The Centre of Local Food, an initiative of the West Dorset Food and Land Trust, opened in April this year to encourage and enhance local food enterprises. It is hoped the nomination will boost the profile of Bridport and West Dorset as a whole.

While Bridport won't receive a cash award, the agency will introduce representatives from other towns to the area to demonstrate its good practice and will be trying out other ideas to complement the food sector.

South west market towns adviser Sarah Skinner said: "Bridport is already doing so much good work regarding local food and this scheme wants to help advertise and expand that."

Countryside Agency director Margaret Clark said: "Learn-ing about ways to tackle the problems rural communities face is central to our work, and testing different solutions is key to this.

"Different approaches to problem-solving or new ways of doing things will be tried and from there we hope to learn more about what does and doesn't work. Today's Beacon Towns have been chosen because they are excellent examples of towns in which interesting and experimental things are happening.

"These towns will provide examples that other towns can use as they face up to their challenges as well as informing national and regional policy makers about ways to regenerate our market towns.

"Through this work we hope market towns will fulfil our vision of providing convenient access to retail and professional services, training and jobs, and leisure and cultural opportunities both for their own residents and those from the surrounding countryside."

Bridport's role will be acknowledged next Thursday when the town's mayor Geoff Ackerman will receive a commemorative certificate from the agency's Ms Skinner.