THE Cooney family put their heads together to launch a bright idea!

Nick Cooney, assistant community officer at Blackburn Rovers, had the brainwave of putting the faces of Rovers players on the backs of hoods to attach to youngsters' tops.

Mum and dad Joe and Kathleen, who run Grove Antiques in Darwen, helped get the idea patented and the hoods licensed by Blackburn Rovers, and have launched them this week.

Their daughter Joanne, a wine shop manageress, has also joined in the new company formed to market the fleece hoods.

"It has taken around four or five years from Nick coming up with the idea to get to this stage," said Kathleen, of Bolton Road, Darwen.

"We've invested a lot of time and money on the hoods so they'd better be popular!"

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