AN Otley publisher has stormed the county boundary - by producing the first comprehensive guide to Lancashire's dialects and

customs.

Smith Settle Publishing, based in Ilkley Road, has produced more than 100 titles over the last 15 years covering the historical, cultural and literary landscape of Yorkshire.

And now, for the first time, it has crossed the county border and brought out a book in Lancashire.

The Lancashire Dictionary of Dialect, Tradition and Folklore does not just break new grounds in subject matter, it is also the company's first venture into the industrial heartlands of the North West.

It covers the words and expressions of Lancastrians living between Morecambe Bay and the Mersey and also celebrates the region's legends and history.

Managing director Ken Smith said: "We felt it was time to look further afield while remaining true to our Yorkshire roots.

"Our Yorkshire Dictionary of Dialect, Tradition and Folklore was so successful that we decided to see if we could repeat the winning formula elsewhere.

"We produced a similar title for Cumbria and followed it up with several more Lakeland books, now we hope that this foray into the Red Rose County will be the first of many."

The Lancashire Dictionary of Dialect, Tradition and Folklore costs £7.95 in paperback and £12.95 in hardback.

Copies can be bought from Smith Settle Publishing on Ilkley Road, Otley and Manor Books and Music in Manor Square, Otley as well as from bookshops in Lancashire.