A NEW butchers is set to open its doors at the former Crawshaws site in Burnley.

Bosses at Crawshaws Burnley will be running a similar style of operation at the premises on St James Street.

And while the operator has no connection with the old chain, which withdrew from Burnley and Blackburn earlier this year, after administrators were called in, it is hoping to be a hit with customers.

Gary Waring, who is running the shop, said: "We are going to be doing a soft opening, to see how things go.

"We reopened an old Crawshaws in Rochdale last November and that has been doing really well so we decided to take this one on as well."

He has experienced running fish and chip shops and meat traders across the north west and says he has been able to take on a number of former Crawshaws' employees.

Nineteen Crawshaws stores, though not Burnley or Blackburn's, were bought by Loughanure Ltd, which is now trading as Sterling Meat Company.