RESIDENTS attending the first public meeting where name-change plans for Hyndburn Council were revealed have given the proposals their backing.

The 90 people who attended the Oswaldtwistle area council meeting voted to change the borough council's name to Accrington and District Council.

Councillors are calling for the promotion of the borough's five townships as individual identities.

Each town would have its own crest on the council logo and these insignias would also appear on signs at the boundaries of the towns, at a cost of £20,000.

The Oswaldtwistle crest, featuring a harp, crown and lion, was greeted with enthusiasm by residents.

Barry Bolton, of Cardigan Avenue, who was at the meeting, said: "I fully support the idea of a name change. It's fantastic that Ossy can regain its status as a town within the borough and that we are to have a true identity for the area."

The leader of the council and chairman of the area council, Coun Peter Britcliffe, said: "This is typical of the positive responses we've had to the idea.

"Polls running on various websites, and a vox pop carried out by the Lancashire Telegraph, have also been very much in favour of the change.

"It all demonstrates that we have a collection of townships each with their own character and history."