A GOOD Friday extravaganza brought in good trade for town centre shops in Burnley.

There was plenty of clowning on the streets with Clownabout, a wacky children's entertainer, among the special attractions organised by Burnley Council and Initiative Burnley in a bid to boost business.

Brassanova Street Band kept shoppers' feet tapping and Fabian's Punch and Judy was a big hit with the children who also enjoyed a bouncy castle and roundabouts.

Free car parking also proved an attraction for shoppers and for visitors to the National Blues Festival, which got under way at the Mechanics.

Marks and Spencer store manager David Bohm, commented: "There are a lot of people about and trade has been very good. People seem to have been attracted into town by the good weather and the activities.

"What we are aiming for is for people who live in and around Burnley and anywhere else to come along and shop in Burnley and today we have been successful.''

David Jepson, store manager at Woolworth's, said: "It looks as though it will be much better than last year when the town centre was a pig sty because of all the alterations and it looks as though it will reach the level of two years ago.''

A spokesman at Crowd Puller Ltd, in Hammerton Street, said: "There was a fairly slow start, but now it has picked up and we are quite busy.

"We are very pleased with the way things have gone.''

The activities are continuing today with added attractions and open days at St Peter's Parish Church and the Weavers' Triangle visitors' centre.

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