GISBURN could be twinned with the French town used to mock the Ribble Valley village in a national advertising campaign.

Gisburn Parish Council are discussing the possibility with the Côte d’Azur community of Menton.

The move comes after a Renault advertising campaign depicted the sunshine-drenched French town in stark contrast to its dismal portrayal of Gisburn.

Giles Bridge, chair of Gisburn Festival Hall said: “The parish council is talking about the possibility of writing to the Mayor of Menton in light of the recent advert.

“It would be great if we could get more positive things out of the ad campaign. We are keen to develop a relationship with our French counterparts in order to appreciate their culture and vice versa.”

The parish council is proposing to link Gisburn Primary School with a French school.

And it is understood bosses at Renault are supportive of the scheme and have offered to pay the cost for a Gisburn delegation to travel to France if the idea is given the go-ahead.

Mr Bridge added: “The advert was about exploring cultural differences and there is no better way of doing that then being face to face.

“It would be fantastic for the school children as it would allow them to improve their language skills and help them to appreciate the differences between the two towns.”

Renault’s advertising campaign was created by advertising agency Publicis London and posed the question ‘Can a car change a town?’ The first advert contrasts a swimming pool in Menton to a puddle in Gisburn; a French couple eating in a restaurant to an old couple on a picnic bench; and designer heels with slippers.

It followed the journey of Menton resident Claude as he drove to Gisburn from France aiming to bring ‘Joie de vivre’ to Gisburn.

Gisburn councillor Richard Else Sherras said: “There have been mixed views about the Renault advert and it will be interesting to explore this idea but at the moment I feel totally neutral about it.”