A HISTORIAN has said Blackburn with Darwen Council is not making good use ‘of the best PR for Blackburn there is’.

Ray Smith is chairman of Blackburn Local History Society and the author of several books on the town's heritage.

He is also a regular contributor to Blackburn Library’s Cotton Town website, as the man behind its online Blackburn Encyclopaedia.

But the 74-year-old from Langho believes the resource is not being updated as often as it should be.

He said: “The council got a grant a few years ago to set up this Cotton Town website and the encyclopaedia has been online for about five years.

“The website has become synonymous with Blackburn.

It's probably the best PR for Blackburn there is.”

Coun Damian Talbot, executive member for culture and leisure, said the council had to be ‘realistic’ in the current economic climate.

He said: “We would always welcome new volunteers to help us keep it up to date.”