A BUSINESSWOMAN from the Ukraine is aiming to warm things up in the bedrooms of East Lancashire after setting up her own lingerie shop

But Vanda Lofthouse, whose own country has an average winter temperature of between minus-8 and minus-15 degrees, believes local men are red hot at choosing lacy underwear compared to those back home.

Vanda has just set up her own lingerie and Belgian chocolate shop after moving to Blackburn in 2004, when she married husband David.

She opened Vanda in Whalley New Road, Brownhill, three weeks ago and the shop specialises in exclusive Latvian made Vova lingerie, which has become popular in London and on the international catwalk modelling scene.

"We opened just before Christmas and we had quite a lot of men coming in and buying the lingerie and some chocolates for their partners," said Vanda, 43, who comes from Kherson, near Odessa.

"I was really surprised because men in the Ukraine would never do that, they are very shy about buying bras and things as gifts."

Vanda met David, 53, of Blackburn, while playing backgammon over the internet and the couple met for the first time in Germany, where Vanda has a sister.

They tied the knot in Vanda's home town in October 2004 and Vanda moved to Blackburn two months later.

"The people here are very friendly and everybody has been really nice," she said.

"I was surprised at the number of women who own businesses in Blackburn, it gave me the idea of starting up on my own."

Vanda originally trained as a textile engineer but struggled to find work when the Soviet Union began breaking up after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.

She became a beautician, something she originally intended to do when she came to Blackburn.

But one of Vanda's London-based friends imports the Vova label from Latvia and the pair struck a deal, which means Vanda is the only supplier of the lingerie in the North West.

"This is a first for Blackburn because this label is usually only available from big cities like Moscow, Paris and London and we are the only one around here selling it." said David, who owns his own carpet cleaning business.

"This is kind of a niche area and we think there is a real market for these kind of goods in Lancashire.

"There aren't too many independent shops that sell hand-made Belgian chocolates either so we think the shop will do well."

The couple have plans to expand the business as a beauty salon or to retail wedding dresses made by another of Vanda's friends in Russia.