More than 75,000 people have walked over the South Downs in eight months but they have done so without leaving their chairs.

Since a virtual information site was launched for the Downs in April, almost 50pc more people have clicked on to the site then estimated by its creators at the South Downs Conservation Board before it was set up.

The board says it is delighted with the response and there have been hits from as far away as Austrailia, Venezuela and Japan.

It is hoped the site, called the South Downs Virtual Information Centre, will be a useful promototional tool for the downland area.

The site is at www.vic.org.uk