MONOPOLY hopes to sell "tens of thousands" of copies of its new Bournemouth and Poole edition.

It launched the £24.99 game at Beales on Friday and showed off a specially prepared giant version at Bournemouth Pier.

Bournemouth Mayor Cllr Anne Filer said: "It's fantastic. Instead of the jail they might have put Imax. It could be a chance' card - get £100 for knocking it down!"

Mark Marriot, the commercial director of manufacturer Winning Moves UK, said they had been making regional editions for eight years.

"We look for places of a reasonable size but I think the key is people take pride in the area," he said.

"Northern editions generally do better but then the Brighton edition sold well so maybe Bournemouth can help change the tide. We are thinking of selling tens of thousands of copies."

Mayor's consort Cllr Michael Filer said: "We have five-and-a-half million visitors a year and they all want to buy presents and gifts like this."

Mr Marriot said the places had been decided by visiting the area, speaking to people, and by companies "getting involved".

None of the squares featured single roads, as in the original game, and Mr Marriot said: "I think you are getting into dangerous waters if you start putting individual streets in!"

Bournemouth AFC made it on but Poole Pirates were off after being "pretty much 34th on the list" of the 33 squares available, said press officer Graham Barnes.

Cllr Beverly Dunlop, Bournemouth's cabinet member for tourism, said: "It's interesting to see Dean Court on there - when you think of all the tourism attractions you forget about football but it's a major draw to the area."