SELF-MADE multi-millionaire Trevor Hemmings today announced he had bought Darwen's crisis-hit Crown Wallcoverings.

But a spokeswoman for the Chorley tycoon was unable to say whether production would continue at Belgrave Mills, which now employs fewer than 100 people.

"There will be a restructuring of the business, but it is too early to say what will happen with the Darwen site," she said.

Crown Wallcoverings, part of the American-owned Imperial Home Decor Group, went into receivership in July and more than 200 workers at Darwen have been made redundant.

Other workers have lost their jobs since but the company has been acquired by the CWV Group, part of the Trevor Hemmings empire, which manufactures wallpaper under the Vymura, Coloroll and Wilman brands.

Mr Hemmings is one of the UK's wealthiest businessmen, with a personal fortune estimated at £480million and has an interest in more than 100 UK companies. He moved into the wallpaper sector when he bought Hyde-based Vymura in 1999 for £28.9 million. Later that year, it took over Coloroll at Nelson and closed the factory with the loss of 300 jobs when it moved production to Hyde.

In a statement, CWV chief executive Eric Kilby said: "CWV is committed to the UK wallcovering market and this acquisition provides us with a great opportunity to broaden our products with a direct benefit to customers.

"It consolidates our position as a leader in the international home furnishings market."