A CUT-OFF part of Blackburn town centre is set to become one of the area's biggest tourist attractions.

The Victoria Street and Whalley Range area of Blackburn will be renamed the 'Gateway to Asia' and millions spent improving the area to help it rival Asian quarters in other towns.

Two years of research and investigation by regeneration bosses has left Blackburn with Darwen Council with plans to turn the area, separated from the rest of the town centre by the four-lane Barbara Castle Way, into a fashion version of Manchester's Curry Mile.

Members from the Whalley Range Bazaar Business Group, who represent the shops there, have welcomed plans saying that their "colourful shopping area" has lost out to local spending after becoming isolated.

Under the plans, streets linking Whalley Range to the town centre will be made more attractive, and artwork will be placed in Whalley Range , and the area will be 'branded' with proper signage.

Amna Siddiqui, manager of the Hijab Centre and a member of the Whalley Range Bazaar Business Group, said: "People come from as far away as Leicester, Leeds and Bradford to shop in this area. With so many shops they can buy everything they want in one place.

"I don't think local people realise that there are so many unique things here. We import our shawls from the likes of Turkey, Dubai, India and Malaysia.

"We would like to see more people from Blackburn visit us too."

Hajra Younus, sales director of jewellery company Huffles Creations, said: "We supply three shops in the area and they have had customers travel from as far away as Glasgow and Cardiff just to buy our jewellery.

"This project is exciting as it opens the door for Asian businesses to get into bigger sites and forge links with the town centre."

Coun Andy Kay, regeneration chief, said that findings from a study into the feasibility of the area being a successful tourist attraction had been "extremely positive."

He said: "People travel from all over the country -- such is the reputation of the Whalley Range Bazaar's shops, yet hardly any of Blackburn's shoppers venture that far out of the immediate town centre.

"People think that Blackburn shopping centre is the town centre but it's not. It is just a part of it and there is so much more to explore.

"We are aware that Barbara Castle Way acts as a barrier and we are looking at creating an attractive and interesting walkway leading to the area from Victoria Street.

"We are also looking at improving and increasing car parking, all of which will get more people going there."

l An exhibition runs until the end of October at Blackburn Visitor Centre, Church Street, to highlight goods on sale in the area.