A BID to make East Lancashire the curry house capital of the North West has been launched.

The new group aims to fly the flag for East Lancashire's Indian restaurants and make them a tourist attraction in their own right.

The aim of the group is to ensure high food and hygiene standards among member restaurants and to promote Indian food.

"We want to bring a cultural and educational element to eating in these restaurants, by making sure waiters are able to tell customers what each curry name means and its background," explained Ishwer Tailor, business development officer for Enterprise plc, which is managing the pilot project.

A two-page brochure is being produced to highlight the six restaurants who are the founder members of the group.

Mr Tailor said: "We want to try and promote them and increase business for Indian restaurants and make them an attraction for customers from outside the area as well as local residents."

The project is financed by Lancashire County Council, the Government's Single Regeneration Budget and the European Regional Development Fund.

The first six member restaurants are the Balti Stan in Clayton-le-Moors, the Mitali, Accrington, the Samrat, Rawtenstall, the Agra, Hapton, the Nila, Rawtenstall and the Sunargaw, in Haslingden.

Hyndburn Mayor Coun Bernard Dawson and Coun Dorothy Westell are pictured at the scheme's launch in the Globe Centre, Accrington, with restaurants representatives (from left) Harun Miah, Abdul Ahad, Alkas Ali, Ishwer Tailor and Nafur Ali.

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