EAST Lancashire fashion designer Wayne Hemingway has praised controversial wind turbines as mesmerising structures of beauty'.

The Blackburn-born founder of the Red or Dead fashion chain, now known for his house building and architectural work, has stepped in to back a scheme by campaign group The British Wind Energy Association.

The group has just launched a campaign, known as Embrace the Revolution, designed to challenge what it calls the myths' about wind farms.

Wayne whose wife, Gerardine, grew up in Padiham, has joined a string of celebrities including actors and singers to back the group.

The 44-year-old said: "Wind turbines are mesmerising structures of beauty that point our energy industry in the right direction.

"I don't care if there are cheaper forms of non renewable energy out there, the real impact is that these mesmerizing structures show that the energy industry is thinking about our futures."

Wind turbines have a controversial history, with campaigners opposing them arguing that the large structures, often about 100 feet high, are a blot on the landscape and cost too much to build.

In East Lancashire plans are in the pipeline to construct a wind farm of 26 turbines on Scout Moor, Edenfield, and two turbines in Uglow Farm, Egworth, near Darwen.

But the British Wind Energy Association argues that just 2,000 turbines will have to be built on the mainland UK to meet government targets for renewable energy, and that 80 per cent of the public support wind energy.

To promote its work the association will be holding a Wind Weekend from August 26 to 28 where certain wind farms across the UK will be open to the public.

Wayne said: "The Wind Weekend event in August is an opportunity for people to see how a wind farm works and to understand the crucial and exciting role wind power plays. So go on, get out and experience the technology for yourselves."