AN American rancher offered to buy Darwen Tower for £250,000.

Darwen councillors were preparing to sit down and discuss the offer by rancher Hiran B Lansky of St Louis Missouri, however Telegraph reporters had reason to believe the offer was a hoax.

Attempts to contact Mr Lansky at his Hurstville ranch home ended when the St Louis telephone exchange told reporters they had no such person or address listed.

Town clerk John Fielding said: “It will go on the general purposes committee agenda.

“Just as any offer to purchase council property would.”

The offer to buy the 86ft tower came in a letter to Cllr Jim Swanton.

Mr Lansky said he wanted to put the tower on his ranch in memory of his great-grandfather, who hailed from Darwen.

Cllr Swanton said: “At first I thought he wanted a Darwen Tower tie.

“We have had to take the letter seriously though, on the face of it, it could be a hoax."

The council was also faced with the issue of who would get the cash if Mr Lanskey and his money did materialise.