LEIGH, Atherton and Tyldesley have two new town centre champions.

Retailers and shoppers in the borough's largest towns will have allies in the new co-ordinators.

Helen Toher, 24, will be responsible for Leigh, Golborne and Platt Bridge, while Annette Daykin, 32, will fulfil the same role in Ashton, Atherton, Hindley and Tyldesley.

Helen is a native of Leigh and an ex-pupil of Leigh St Mary's RC High School, Astley.

She is a graduate in marketing from Huddersfield University.

Annette from Chorley was previously a senior marketing executive in newspapers.

She has a business studies degree from Leeds Polytechnic.

Their role will be to promote the towns' prosperity, help to foster good communications between all the towns' businesses and liaise on their behalf with the council on matters such as parking, security, street cleaning and the maintenance of roads and pavements.

Helen (pictured left) and Annette join Mike Matthews who was appointed last year as Wigan's town centre manager.

The posts are funded jointly by Wigan Borough Partnership with Wigan Council, and also in part by regeneration funds such as Coalfield Challenge and the government's Single Regeneration Budget.

Helen said: "Being local I already have an understanding of the issues that the town centres face, and can appreciate the concerns of both local businesses and the community as a whole."

Annette added: "Market towns like Ashton, Atherton, Hindley and Tyldesley are major assets, I am looking forward to working with local businesses and community groups so that we can all work together to promote and enhance the services provided."

Deputy leader of the council, Cllr Tom Sherratt, said: "I welcome these appointments. We need to give the retailers and people who shop in our towns the clear message that we are determined to help them thrive and prosper in the face of competition from out of town shops."

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