TESTING has started on Blackburn's second giant interactive billboard.

It was lifted by crane into its place in front of the town hall earlier this week.

The 38ft high structure with a rotating 15 square metre mobile phone-shaped screen will be used to broadcast events as well as offering digital advertising space.

It is due to go live on Wednesday May 9 following testing in time to show crowds in King William Street and Town Hall Square what is happening elsewhere during the National Festival of Making on the following weekend.

Town Hall bosses hope the second screen will also prove to be self-funding and generate income to be ploughed into providing front-line local authority services.

Denise Park, deputy chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We are always looking at ways to generate income which can be put into front line services.

"More and more organisations are requesting digital advertising and this is the type of technology which is found in modern cities. "It demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that the borough is a vibrant place for business to thrive and invest money in.

"The screen is also a fantastic way to highlight the great events which take place all over the borough and to bring people together." Opposition politicians have objected to the siting of the mast and electronic hoarding where it will obscure the historic frontage of the Grade II-listed building."

The siting of the screen has however been criticised as 'inappropriate'.

Council Conservative leader Cllr John Slater said: “In front of our beautiful Victorian Town Hall is not an appropriate place for this huge and intrusive piece of modern technology."