ONE of East Lancashire's best known actors has spoken of his desire to return to the area he says is blessed with "tremendous" people.

Malcolm Hebden, best known for his role as interfering Norris Cole in Coronation Street, is one of many local celebrities to support our Pride of East Lancashire Campaign, which is a celebration of our area.

Malcolm, who began a third stint in the ITV soap in 1999, began his working life as a window dresser in Burnley where his family moved when he was six weeks old.

He now lives near Gloucester but regularly visits East Lancashire as he has many friends who still live in Burnley.

He said: "I have a lot of southern friends now and they can be disparaging about the north but what they forget is most of the country's wealth was created in the north with the industrial revolution.

"I have considered moving back to East Lancashire and am looking for a house in the Ribble Valley but have not found anywhere yet.

"These awards are a terrific idea. It is a deprived area and people need this encouragement.

"It is the people on the ground that do the work as carers and in hospitals and they deserve this recognition."

Malcolm has many fond memories of his time in the area and said: "When I was brought up in the 40s and 50s there was a tremendous feeling of community support, the thing about leaving your door open was extremely true.

"When I was about eight I went round moving people's furniture around and they would fall over the chair when they came back in.

"The doors were open when the people were working at the mills but you didn't dream of taking things then.

"People did look after each other then. My mother was always helping others and people looked out for her. People now live within their homes which is a great shame but one has to do it.

"There are race problems too, now, particularly in the Burnley area, which is very depressing but there has been the trailer on television about the place in Stoneyholme where they are using Asian cooking to bring people together.

"It is a way of building bridges over food and that is encouraging."