SUMMER could be blooming spectacular if a colourful flower scheme gets off the ground.

Businesses and retailers are being urged to sponsor 750 hanging baskets in the borough's six town centres.

For an annual charge of £30, firms will be supplied with baskets or tubs, plant, feed and compost. Bury Council will install, maintain and clean the baskets, which will be hung from early June to September.

Bury Environmental Forum will provide five sponsored precinct planters filled with flowers for each township. This has come about thanks to a successful £36,500 bid to the Pilsworth Environmental Company.

Elaine Shirt, chairman of the forum's urban issues group, said: "The sponsored hanging basket scheme is already an amazing and eye-catching success in Ramsbottom, thanks to the support of local traders and businesses.

"By expanding it to the other towns, coupled with the summer bedding displays already provided by the council, our intention is to transform our borough into a riot of colour over the weeks and months ahead.

"Hundreds of hanging baskets everywhere will go a long way to creating a brighter and better borough that we can all be proud of."

The council has distributed 1,000 Expression of Interest forms. For a copy, contact the council on 253 5353.