JAMES Bond's hovercraft has been seen zooming across a field in East Lancashire -- but this time 007 was not trying to escape any bad guys.

The vehicle, used in the 2002 movie Die Another Day, starring Pierce Brosnan, was being used to promote the arrival of national hovercraft racing in East Lancashire.

Magnoll's farm, on Haslingden Road near Oswaldtwistle, will host its first Hovercraft Club of Great Britain race on June 18 and 19.

Organiser Charlie Peach promised some exciting stuff when the races start.

And he hopes to make Blackburn a permanent fixture on the national circuit and host similar events in the future.

He bought the redundant dairy farm two years ago as a base for his courier business Countrywide and Global Couriers.

And the businessman, who has lived in the area for 15 years, hit upon using the extra land to indulge his love of hovercraft.

The racing hovercrafts, which have no brakes and can reach speeds of up to 80mph, will zip around a custom-made 30-acre part-land and part-water course.

There will be a top-quality field of racers on show, including British champion Daniel Newton and European champ Conrad Beale.

Mr Peach said: "The races are very popular, both for racers and spectators, and some classes will have more than 20 competitors.

This course is very technical rather than just the grunt and speed of some tracks."

Mr Peach, along with two racing club colleagues, bought the Bond hovercraft second hand last year and extensively refurbished it.

The race meeting will feature three categories of hovercraft, from the powerful formula one to the 250cc formula three.

There is also a children's class.

Mr Peach added: "Hovercraft racing can be very exciting, when they reach top speeds of 70 or 80mph they are almost on the verge of take-off and can sometimes flip."

He said the attraction of the sport is its relative low cost compared to other areas of motor sport.

Top of the range formula one models cost around £15,000 but you can buy a basic machine for around £1,000.

Mr Peach has been involved with the Hovercraft Club of Great Britain for eight years and built his first craft when he was still at school.