POP guru Simon Cowell was given a good toasting on Saturday night - not on his new show, X Factor, but as a Guy Fawkes doll on the bonfire at Witton Park, Blackburn.

The effigy of Mr Cowell was sitting on an armchair on top of the huge fire, and the assembled crowd cheered as he went up in smoke.

Thousands of people gathered in the drizzle to enjoy a spectacular £3,500 fireworks display, which was set to classical music this year, for the first time.

They also had the opportunity to enjoy fairground rides, games, candy floss and toffee apples.

Twins Alice and Molly Overton, aged nine, enjoyed the display.

They said: "It was brilliant - just as good as last year. Our favourite bit was the firework display."

Organiser Ian Hammond, of Blackburn Rotaract, said the evening was a great success.

"It was a great night, really successful and a lot of people turned up. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it."

The £7,000 organisers hoped to have raised will go to Lords House Farm riding school for disabled people, in Rishton.

Chairman of the Lords House Farm trustees Steve Colling said: "We would like to thank Rotaract for staging this event and we hope everyone had a good evening."