THE announcement of 1,500 jobs to be created in Bannertown's call centres has prompted calls for yet more high-quality white collar jobs in the area.

And workers, residents and councillors greeted the news about the new £19million development on Shadsworth Estate with open arms.

Blackburn has the highest unemployment rate in East Lancashire, with four per cent of the working population looking for a job, compared with a Lancashire average of 2.8 per cent and a national figure of 2.4 per cent.

Ronnie O'Keeffe, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council chamber of trade vice-president, said: "More jobs mean more money and more people coming into town.

"Things such as call centres are certainly something we are encouraging in the town.

"We want to bring more and more of these types of jobs into the town.

"It's usually Preston and Manchester that gets places like this, so we're very lucky.

"The work will be mostly office work and they will employ roughly 90 per cent local people, which will have a very positive effect on bringing down unemployment figures.

"The centres will also attract a different type of person because they are sometimes open all night.

"This could be ideal for mothers who can work shifts at those times.

"It will encourage a different variety of people to apply for jobs."

Coun Paul Browne, Blackburn with Darwen Council's Lib Dem leader, said: "Of course it's excellent news that more jobs are coming to the borough.

"In the long run we would prefer proper industries in the area but jobs are jobs at the end of the day and they will bring in more money."

Coun Colin Rigby, Conservative leader, added: "It would be fantastic if the call centres can follow the example of Capita in Darwen because, traditionally, a lot of companies move to low salary areas. But Capita has done well for its staff and brought a lot more people into the town in the process.

"At the same time, Blackburn needs skilled jobs like office jobs that employ white collar workers. They will attract more people to the area and will be more stable than call centres, which can move anywhere in the world."

Darwen MP Janet Anderson agreed that the town needed something more permanent.

She said: "Any new jobs for the area are welcome but we should always remember that call centres, although they represent a growth area, can be moved anywhere and they might not remain here.

"We still need more stable, indigenous jobs that are secure.

"I would like to see more efforts being made to encourage manufacturing businesses because this has always been a manufacturing area."

Max Patel, 34, co-owner of South Clothing on Town Hall Street, said: "It's very good for Blackburn and the town's young people need to have these prospects.

"The Shadsworth area definitely needs more development."

Cheryl Standing, 28, a beauty therapist at Ellebees in Town Hall Street, said: "It's important for more jobs to be on offer to put people into work and, hopefully, shops in the town centre will benefit from it."

Anne Smith, manager of BHS in King William Street, said: "If it will bring more people into the town centre then that has to be a good thing."

Music student, Alan Briggs, 21, from Brownhill, said: "For something like this to happen in Blackburn is a real boost to the town and it's bound to be a success."

Michael Walters, 39, said: "I would love to go for something like that.

"I know a lot of people in Blackburn who are unemployed and for something like this to come up is excellent."