Northern Rail has expressed regret for any “confusion” over a decision to turn down an advertising design for Brontë Country.

Members of the Brontë Country Partnership (BCP) reacted angrily last month to news that their proposed design — meant to appear on a pair of railway carriages — had been rejected.

The BCP markets Keighley and Brontë Country as a tourist destination.

It was told last year that Northern Rail was making the passenger carriages available to have images of local tourist attractions emblazoned on them.

The scheme is being funded by the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, the Keighley Town Centre Association, Keighley Town Council and the BCP.

At last month’s BCP meeting, group members said Northern Rail had behaved unprofessionally by not clarifying what type of design it was willing to accept.

Responding this week, a company spokesman said: “We are working with the KTCA to finalise the images and look of the train to promote Keighley and the surrounding area.

“We are sorry for any confusion over the initial design but are confident that the finished train will be a fantastic advert for the town.”