RESIDENTS and councillors in Barnoldswick have been celebrating the completion of an environmental project which transformed an "eyesore" piece of land.

A champagne breakfast was held on Saturday to mark the end of work, near the Cross Keys, in Church Street.

Councillor David Whipp said: "It used to be a derelict seating area which had become an eyesore, with broken steps and paving stones. It had been like that for years and the problem was that no-one would own up to owning the land and it got worse.

"Last year we did some detective work and enlisted the support of Peter Turner, the former surveyor of Barnoldswick and Earby District Council, who dug up some old plans at Nelson Town Hall which proved that it was part of a highway scheme some 30 years ago.

"We got just over £1,000 from the rural regeneration budget and we've now got good paving, a couple of nice benches and some handsome litterbins."