BLACKBURN town centre has won double gold in the ‘Great British High Street Awards’.

Not only did it secure victory in its own category but was crowned as overall ‘Winner of Winners’.

It beat 900 other entrants and 26 other finalists to take the prizes including a £10,000 cheque and trophy at a ceremony in Lancaster Gate, London.

The double triumph in a contest that saw 500,000 votes cast has been welcomed as ‘fantastic news’ by business and political leaders.

Blackburn beat Hemel Hempstead and Banbury to win the ‘Town Centre of the Year 2016’ category in the third annual awards.

Then to cap of the achievement it was named ‘Winner of Winners’ at the end of the ceremony against competition including major cities such as Derby and Bristol and tourist hotspots such as Hebden Bridge and Chipping Norton.

Further good news for Blackburn came as national discount chain Wilko announced it was taking over the prime 25,000 square foot unit in The Mall left empty when British Home Stores went into liquidation.

Praise was led by communities and local government secretary Sajid Javid, whose department sponsored the nationwide contest.

He said: “Blackburn is a great example of how hard work and support for local businesses can turn things around.”

Mr Javid praised the town’s Business Improvement District (BID) and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council for their joint drive to ‘invest and put on a vibrant calendar of events that has seen visitors flock in their thousands’.

Harriet Roberts, Blackburn BID Manager, said: “You can’t buy the passion that surrounds the town.

“The message we’ve been putting out is come and see Blackburn and it’s changed. This is the cherry on the cake.”

Mo Isap, chair of the borough’s Local Strategic Partnership, said the awards were well deserved.

He said: “I am extremely proud that Blackburn has been recognised as the great place we know it to be.”

Mike Damms, chief executive of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is fantastic news for Blackburn and the surrounding town centres.”

Blackburn MP Kate Hollern said: “This double award is well deserved and I am absolutely delighted.

“It reflects the amazing transformation of the town centre.”

Council regeneration boss Phil Riley said it was a terrific achievement.

He said: “This reflects wonderfully well on the town but particularly on the partnership between the council, the Blackburn BID and the businesses in the town centre.

“Obviously, we are very excited to have won in our own category but it is even more fantastic to have been named the winner of winners.”

Council Tory group leader John Slater said: “This recognition is a fantastic news story for the town and goes to show that Blackburn is thriving economically.”

And Blackburn and District Chamber of Trade President Tony Duckworth said: “I am delighted and, with the announcement that Wilko’s is coming to the Mall, this shows Blackburn really is a town centre with a future.”

Borough Liberal Democrat boss David Foster said: “This is excellent news.”

This year’s competition saw a record 900 entries across all 14 categories and winners were decided half on the public vote and half on the opinion of a team of judges who visited each high street.

Wilko will now start renovation of the former BHS unit with a view to opening by summer next year.

Winners in each category get a share of a prize pot worth £100,000, expert training from Google’s digital taskforce for shops, bars and restaurants, and a trip to Twitter UK’s London office to boost their social media skills.

Hussain Akhtar, Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Blackburn has been honoured in this way in these prestigious awards.”