A £1.5MILLION community centre in a Ribble Valley backwater was unveiled by the Prime Minister's wife, Cherie Booth.

Stephen Park in the Forest of Bowland will give youngsters from urban areas in Merseyside a taste of rural life, as well as offering local community groups extra facilities.

And Cherie Booth, wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair, told the gathering that driving through the Ribble Valley en-route from Preston Railway Station had lifted her spirits.

Knowsley Council for Voluntary Service used lottery cash to convert a former hunting lodge at the 17th Century Hammerton Hall near Slaidburn into the centre.

It offers accommodation for up to 40 people, with camping and barn facilities for a further 12, a state-of-the-art information technology suite and conference centre.

Cherie Booth was invited by Knowsley North Labour MP George Howarth, who has taken an interest in the scheme.

She unveiled a plaque at a ceremony attended by Ribble Valley Mayor Joyce Holgate, Knowsley Mayor Dave Friar and Stephen Park workers.

She said: "I used to come to the Ribble Valley on school field trips during my childhood in Liverpool. I know this area well and have extremely fond memories of it.

"Driving through this wonderful countryside on my way from Preston Station lifted my spirits. This is a wonderful area and I am delighted to be able to formally open this centre."