PLANS to sell the freehold of the West Somerset Railway have been shelved, Somerset County Council said today (May 20).

The u-turn follows a formal process which saw two bids submitted to buy the tourist attraction's freehold.

In a statement, the authority said: "The proposals came from local groups, the West Somerset Railway Association and the West Somerset Railway PLC.

"Since they were submitted a week ago, they have been assessed by council officers who have now concluded that neither proposal fully met all the criteria required.

"A decision will be published to confirm that based on this evaluation neither proposal will be taken forward."