PRESTON looks set to go on the map as the future jazzville after the council and the town's MP pledged support for a festival in the town next year.

Jazz enthusiast Brian Gumbley has gone out on a limb to organise the Preston Jazz and Blues Festival 2002 and is confident it will be a great money-spinner for local businesses.

Music promoter Brian said the October festival will be much bigger than the Preston Guild and is expected to bring up to £2million of business to Preston.

He said: "This will be an enormous and fantastic event, bringing both fun and culture to this wonderful town.

"I have lots of ideas on how to fund the festival and I have had some interest from sponsors and now I have the full support of the council.

"The jazz festival will come back and grow bigger each year. It will attract crowds of visitors to the town from all over Britain.

"Hotels will be full, venues for the festival events will be packed out, shops will sell more and local restaurants, taxis and museums will be busy."

Ambitious Brian plans to introduce two nights of jazz bands at the Guild Hall with other performances taking place at various venues in the town including The Marriot Hotel, in Garstang Road, Preston Grasshoppers Rugby club, Lightfoot Lane, Fulwood, and Roper Hall in Friargate, Preston.

He has also organised a free bus to transport ticket holders to one of the jazz-hot venues and wants to create a jazz parade through the streets of Preston. And a spiritual jazz service will take place at the end of the festival week with Father Dean Rushton, of All Saints Parish Church, in Watling Street Road, Fulwood, and Fr Peter Sharrock from the English Martyrs Church, in Garstang Road, ahead of a two hour gospel service with jazz band Speakeasy.

Preston MP Mark Hendrick said: "I have met with Brian and discussed this idea and I think it is very important that the festival goes ahead.

"It could attract a great deal of visitors to Preston which is growing as a tourist attraction especially with the opening of the football museum."

A Preston Borough Council spokesman added: "The council has confirmed its full support and is keen to help Mr Gumbley in running and promoting the event with whatever systems we can provide."