ANOTHER stage of an international sporting event may be coming to North Yorkshire in the wake of the Tour de France.

However, supporters need to find £285,000 to get the Yorkshire Rally - a stage of the 2015 European Rally Championship next autumn - off the ground.

On Friday October 3, North Yorkshire county councillors will be asked to contribute towards the cost of the stage.

It would be centred around the Yorkshire showground in Harrogate with stages possibly taking place at local historic houses including Duncombe Park and Harewood House and on forestry commission land.

Supporter, Cllr Christopher Knowles Fitton is putting his case to North Yorkshire’s local government committee appealing to them to help find the first stage money.

“It would be absolutely amazing, this is motorsports top event and we would be at the centre of it, it would really showcase Yorkshire to the rest of the world. I am realistic these are difficult times for local authorities and spending money on something like this needs some careful thought but the benefits would be enormous,” he said.

The bid comes on the back of moves to attract the World Rally Championship to the region which failed, but Cllr Knowles Fitton says the event promoted by Eurosport could bring in up to 50,000 spectators with between £2 and £10 million ploughed into the region.