A SCHEME to let tourists stay in people's spare bedrooms could become council policy, despite being branded 'barmy' by town leaders.

The idea to draw up a database of people willing to let out their bedrooms to visitors who can't find a hotel was suggested by Alan Cottam, the Conservative spokesman for regeneration.

Blackburn with Darwen Council's ruling Labour group appeared to dismiss the idea, aimed at tackling the need for extra hotel beds in the town.

But today the scrutiny committee chairman Coun Mike Barrett revealed that the suggestion could yet become an official recommendation to the council's executive board.

This means that Coun Andy Kay, the executive member for regeneration, would have to consider altering the council's tourism strategy to include it.

His officers have already indicated that the priority remains finding a high-class hotel for Blackburn, to replace the County Hotel, Preston New Road, which closed two years ago.

But ignoring the proposal would only add weight to claims by backbench councillors that the executive board pay no attention to them, and that their role scrutinising the executive board's decisions is pointless because it never makes a difference.

Coun Barrett said: "The discussion we had at the overview and scrutiny committee meeting was about tourism and one of the areas we concentrated on was the lack of a hotel in the town centre. An idea was put forward to assist people in letting out spare rooms.

"We have to draw up a series of recommendations to the executive member to see how things can be improved on tourism and this proposal could yet become a recommendation."

Lib Dem councillor Karimeh Foster said it was originally her party's idea for people to rent out rooms to solve the town's accommodation problems.

She said: "There's a shortage of hotels in both Blackburn and Darwen and we would encourage people to use their homes to solve this problem.

"People would look after their homes and be proud to have people stay in them. It would foster relationships, build bridges and all in all, make the area a better place to live."

Coun Foster said: "They are using this type of thing in Germany, Italy, Spain and all over Europe and there's no reason why we shouldn't do it here."

Today, Coun Cottam added: "The idea was just a suggestion, never meant to be an alternative to a quality hotel but a solution.

"I have received many positive comments about the idea. It could start a cottage industry. Many hotels started the same way."