THE boss of one of East Lancashire's biggest employers has splashed out more than £220,000 on shares in the firm just days after the firm announced a profits slump.

Keith Chapman, chairman of Fine Art Developments, bought 150,000 shares in the company which employs more than 1,000 people locally.

He now owns almost seven million shares in the firm worth around £10 million.

Fine Art Developments, which includes Express Gifts in Nelson, Clayton-le-Moors and Church, as well as Nelson cracker company Delgado, made £21.5 million last year compared to £27.9 million in 1997-1998.

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