FUNDING to complete improvements to two Blackburn town centre streets has been secured, with a promise of even more to come.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been given £450,000 from the North West Development Agency (NWDA) to carry out environmental improvements to Darwen Street and King Street.

Both areas have so far had some work completed, with new paving, street furniture, such as benches and bins, and shrubbery introduced.

Coun Andy Kay, in charge of regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "We have already started work on both streets and this money will mean we can carry it on further, improving what are two important gateways to the town centre."

The council has also announced plans to improve the Sudell Cross area of Blackburn around Northgate.

Coun Kay said: "We are looking at various options which will make it easier for people to walk around the town from the retail core around the shopping centre to places such as King George's Hall, Blackburn College and the new Capita Business Centre when it opens next year close to Barbara Castle Way."

The work in Darwen Street has been carried out in three stages. The first section, from Church Street to Railway Road, was carried out as part of the £2.6million to cobble Church Street and involved cobbling part of Darwen Street too.

Then £230,000 was given by the NWDA to allow improvements to be carried out between Railway Road and Mincing Lane.

The latest cash allocation will enable new paving to be laid down to Townsmoor, and will include shrubberies, bins and other street furniture. It is the only stretch of Darwen Street which is two way.

Work on the £1million scheme for King Street began in January and has been carried out as far as Freckleton Street. Like Darwen Street, work has included new paving, trees, benches and the creation of new parking bays to reduce a one-way street from two lanes to one.

Four pieces of public art have also been put up on the street.

The extra cash will enable work to continue down to Montague Street, and will also pay for a public space to be created in front of St Anne's Church, which is off King Street.

The land used for the public space has been created by the partial demolition of the church following a fire two years ago.

Phil Ainsworth, who owns Ainsworth Jewellers in Darwen Street, said the improvements in front of his shop, carried out late last year, had made a big difference.

He said: "The improvements are something we had wanted 15 years and they have made the street much more attractive and got more people walking down them."