THE popularity of hit BBC drama Peaky Blinders has led to a surge of tourists to the Black Country Living Museum.

The Birmingham-set drama is partly filmed at the Tipton Road attraction, with the museum's canal area recreated as Charlie's Yard in the show.

Fans of the show have travelled from all over the world to visit the show's filming locations and have flocked to the museum in record numbers.

Andrew Lovett, Chief Executive of Black Country Living Museum, said: "2018 was a fantastic year, which saw our fifth successive year of growth, achieving record visitor attendance of just over 355,000.

"As one of the film locations for Peaky Blinders, the popularity of the series has undoubtedly introduced BCLM to new audiences, making an already thriving heritage attraction even more popular.”

Visitor numbers to the West Midlands region as a whole increased by 2.6% in 2018 compared with the previous year, findings from the by the West Midlands Growth Company and research body Global Tourism Solutions have revealed.

Spending by the region’s tourists contributed £12.6 billion to the West Midlands’ economy, a rise of 6.7% on 2017.

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Adding to the waves of visits to the region is the ongoing ripple effect that has been created by Peaky Blinders. The hit BBC show has helped to introduce the West Midlands to a new global audience, with the Peaky effect in full swing. Tours and events are selling out months in advance with tourists heading to the region to explore the places and stories associated with the show.

“With series five now occupying our TV screens on a Sunday night I would encourage everyone who hasn’t already, to come to the West Midlands and experience the show’s backdrops and history for themselves.”