The National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford remains the most popular museum outside London, despite many rivals scrapping admission charges.

About 800,000 visitors went through the museum's doors last year, drawn in by special exhibitions like the one featuring James Bond memorabilia and the ever-popular IMAX cinema.

But as museums and galleries across Britain cancelled charges, the NMPFT - which already had free entry to its main exhibitions - was still top of the attractions outside the capital.

It beat the Royal Armouries in Leeds where 308,822 people went through the doors - a 24 per cent rise on previous years.

Although numbers flocking to the National Railway Museum in York rose by 36 per cent, the figure of 740,955 was still below the NMPFT's tally.

Andy Widdowson, head of visitor services at the museum, said: "We are very pleased with the visitor numbers during 2002.

"We have welcomed nearly 800,000 people, with the IMAX and James Bond exhibition being particularly popular."

This year the museum plans to unveil a new gallery housing the world-famous Royal Photographic Society's Collection which is expected to bring thousands of people to the city.

Nationally, the move to cancel charges proved such a hit that Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has pledged renewed Government funding for the scheme.

The biggest leap in visitor numbers was in the capital - with 111 per cent more visitors to the Victoria and Albert and 100 per cent more to the Science Museum.

Ms Jowell welcomed the figures saying: "No longer is income an obstacle to enjoying the riches of our cultural heritage.

"The boom in visitor numbers, following the Government's investment to allow all visitors to go free, is excellent news.

"It is a tribute to the energy and imagination of the museums themselves, and a clear rebuttal to those who say the people of this country are not interested in serious culture and learning."