BLACKBURN set a festive world record with a carol concert – just for Carols.

Carol Thatcher, daughter of former Prime Minister Margaret, led the singing, along with Carols, Caroles and even Carrolls from as far away as New Zealand.

A grand total of 55 people with the Christmassy name gathered at the "Igloo" Christmas tent outside Blackburn Town Hall to sing, accompanied by the Salvation Army band.

Ms Thatcher, who camped in the jungle for I'm a Celebrity... Get me out of Here, had appeared the previous night as Daisy the cow in Stevenage's Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime.

She had been paid £2,000 to make her first-ever visit to Blackburn.

She said: "How exciting to be here on this occasion. I think the council have done a very good thing with this.

"I was called Carol by my parents who both have names that can be shortened - Margaret to Maggie and Dennis to Den - and they didn't want my name to be shortened."

Blackburn Council organised the event to boost Christmas trade in the town, and spokesman Nick Mason said: "It was a great event.

"No-one has done this before so we have set a world record, and we even had a woman from New Zealand called Carol Carroll, who was visiting her relatives in Blackburn.

"Carol Thatcher was lovely – a real dynamo. She was talking to people for a good three hours and the carols were great."

Carole Roe, 56, from Oswaldtwistle, said: "I think it's very exciting and hopefully it should encourage a few more people into the town centre.

"We remarked how quiet the roads were on the way in for this time of year, and how easy it was to find a parking space."

Carol Burton, 64, came to the event from Church. She said: "I think it's very good for the town, bringing people and hopefully money in.

"I think the £2,000 on Carol Thatcher was money well spent She's lovely. She's charming and down to earth."

Town Centre Partnership chairman Phil Ainsworth said: “We were absolutely delighted with the response and I want to thank all the Carols who took part and everyone else who supported us.

"We collected a lot of money on the day, which will add to all the cash we are raising over the Christmas period for East Lancashire Hospice.”

Clare Turner, the tourism and investment manager at Blackburn with Darwen Council and member of the Town Centre Partnership, added: "There hasn't been a world-record for the number of Carols in one place before, so we definitely have a world record today and Blackburn is leading the way.“