LOCAL celebrities including biker Neil Hodgson and cricketer James Anderson could be appointed as Burnley ambassadors to talk up the town.

The idea is one of those put forward as part of a three-year campaign to challenge negative views and to build pride in the area.

Other suggestions in the Pride in Burnley campaign include holding more festivals and roadshows and signing up taxi drivers to highlight the regeneration of the town to fares.

Improving Burnley's tarnished image was highlighted in the Burnley Task Force Report which followed the riots of June 2001.

The Home Office has handed over £50,000 cash to help the council counter the negative views of both people outside Burnley and those living in the town.

That cash has paid for the consultants and extra funding will now be sought for the campaign itself which chould be underway later this year or early next year.

The campaign, which will be discussed by councillors tonight at the leadership scrutiny committee meeting, will focus on three main areas:

Challenging the negative perceptions

Building pride of place

Building pride of people

The strategy has been put together by a group of consultants for the Burnley Action Partnership (BAP), which brings together representatives from the public, private, community and voluntary sectors.

It will form a key plank in the Community Plan and Strategic Plan which set out the council's vision for the borough for the next 20 years.

Helen Barry of BAP said: "We want to make people feel better about living in Burnley and counter some of the negative images people have about the town."