THE man brought in to keep Burnley town centre busy has begun his battle with an appeal for all local people to do their Christmas shopping here.

Carl Speight, the new town-centre manager, says there is much to be done to ensure the future of high-street shopping, but he's in a buoyant mood about the next few weeks.

"It is important that Burnley's town centre traders keep at the forefront of services to customers, and I am delighted with the show of support for the festive season's trading" said Carl.

"We have a great choice on offer for the people of Burnley, including new retailers such as The Body Shop and I think that both shoppers and traders can look forward to a merry and prosperous Christmas."

Carl, employed by Initiative Burnley, the partnership of business and the public sector, said the town needed to plan to stop shoppers going elsewhere. Improvements such as the Curzon Street shops and development of the bus station area were essential.

For the Christmas campaign, opening hours are better than ever before. Sundays and Thursday nights are expected to be busy, and the first Sunday after Christmas is a special sale day.

Disabled people can hire wheelchairs from Shopmobility on Sunday, November 23 (book in advance), and many shops are providing facilities and discounts for the disabled during the run up to Christmas.

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