THE re-branding of East Lancashire to attract millions of pounds and thousands of people to the area is to officially take place later this month.

The area is to be re-named Pennine Lancashire in a bid to get more people to work, live and visit East Lancashire.

Elevate, the organisation set up to regenerate neighbourhoods is spearheading the move.

The re-branding was the idea of former Manchester music mogul, Anthony Wilson, who last month died of cancer, and his wife, Oswaldtwistle-born Yvette Livesey.

The Pennine Lancashire brand is to be officially unveiled at a ceremony at Stanley House in Mellor next Monday.

It will see Elevate and other bodies including East Lancashire's councils join forces to deliver a number of regeneration projects.

These include the Fashion Tower, an attraction based on the area's cotton industry history in Burnley; an extreme sports centre in Rossendale and Goal, a football theme park in Blackburn.

Mike Damms, chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce said: "We want people to take an interest in the area and rather than people forming their perceptions of East Lancashire we want to form it for them."