DORSET'S Jurassic coastline will be officially welcomed into a universal family of world heritage sites next week.

A top scientist who is the European head of the World Heritage Centre in Paris is set to tour the fossil-rich coast and speak at a conference about the way forward for the county.

Dorset County Council's World Heritage team sees the visit of Dr Mechtild Rssler as an official welcome into the family of World Heritage sites.

Dr Rssler will visit areas including Purbeck, Chesil Beach and Charmouth on Wednesday and meet some of the people involved in managing the coast. On Thursday she will be the key speaker at a conference held at Kingston Maurward College entitled World Heritage status - what next?

Around 140 people will be attending representing a vast range of bodies including local authorities, tourism providers, landowners, conservation and historical groups and national companies.

Tim Badman, manager of Dorset's World Heritage team, said: "We are delighted that Dr Rssler, one of Unesco's senior policy advisers, has accepted our invitation to visit the Dorset coast.

"We look forward to working closely with Unesco (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and this visit will strengthen that link. Up to now we have been judged by Unesco but now we are set to become part of the family and will be linked up to 143 natural World Heritage sites.

"Unesco will help us to develop a series of programmes to promote the site, in particular there will be a big focus on education."

The county council is currently developing a number of initiatives including World Heritage branding, a mini-guide, publication of the site's nomination document and a coffee table book of photographs.

Consultants have also been employed by the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA) to conduct a feasibility study looking at the development opportunities available.

This could include the construction of a new Jurassic Coast visitor centre but Mr Badman stressed that the development potential for existing sites was also being considered.