BLACKBURN with Darwen Council’s regeneration boss has praised the "adventurous" nightlife of Darwen comparing it to city centres such as Manchester and Liverpool.

Following the openings of an abundance of bars, clubs and restaurants in the town over the past couple of years, Councillor Phil Riley said that the town’s nightlife has become a "great success story".

MORE TOP STORIES:

His comments come just days before a petition is set to come before the borough council on Thursday questioning what the council plans to do about the issues Blackburn is experiencing with nightlife.

The Old Chapel Wetherspoons, H2O Bar, Level One nightclub and Essence Mediterranean restaurant have all opened in the past two years and they will shortly be joined by The Esco Bar and Level One Live which will open this month.

Cllr Riley said it is extremely positive that Darwen is becoming a top place to go for a night out in East Lancashire.

He said: “It is excellent that entrepreneurs and businesses have seen the opportunity to invest in Darwen, it’s a great success story.

“I have been very impressed with the businesses that have been coming into Darwen and I think that the amount that have been successful shows how much the nightlife is taking off.

“Things that you would see coming into city centres are coming into Darwen, like a gin bar is being set up behind the Bridgewater, that’s the kind of thing you hear taking off in Manchester.

“I think it’s really positive for the borough.”

Borough councillors approved Darwen businessman Andrew Shorrock’s plans for a wine bar and bistro with a gin and tonic twist in Church Bank Street behind The Bridgewater earlier this year.

The bar will be called Cin Cin and has been described as a "valuable addition to the town’s vibrant nightlife" by councillors ahead of its opening in August.

Mr Shorrock, who was also involved with the conversion and fit out of the Essence restaurant, said: “I am very excited about opening up the bar in Darwen.

“The town has a vibrant nightlife at the moment and I want to offer something a little bit different to it.”

Cllr John Roberts, chair of the Darwen Town Centre Partnership Board, said: “The nightlife of Darwen has been an important part of its economy for the part 12 months and it’s definitely the place to go in East Lancashire now.”