COUNCIL chiefs are confident they can defy the odds in their bid to make Blackburn with Darwen a city.
Town hall bosses say support for city status is increasing all the time, despite bookies ranking the borough 26th among the competitors.
Guildford, Reading and Milton Keynes have been named as front-runners by William Hill to be designated a city, with the odds on Blackburn clinching the honour rated at 33-1.
The council held a roadshow in Victoria Court shopping centre to persuade people to sign up in support of the bid.
A council spokesman said: "We explained our proposals and gave people the chance to sign the city status register.
"We're very encouraged with the level of support, including people from outside the borough
"Most of the feedback has been extremely positive. It would be nice if the bookies took more notice of how we're doing!"
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