NICOLA Jamison loved her first job after leaving school so much that she went back and bought the business 16 years later.

A year on business has been so good at Tailwaggers kennels and cattery the 32-year-old wants to expand the facilities.

Mrs Jamison, a former pupil at Haslingden High School, in Broadway, joined the kennels as a youth trainee after leaving school at the age of 15. She returned to buy it a year ago after working with animals all her life.

Now she has applied to Hyndburn Council's planning department for permission to demolish an old stable block and replace it with a new kennel block, and build a new cattery block to add to the 13 cat kennels at the premises, in Haslingden Old Road, Knuzden.

The business has 15 large kennels and 18 smaller ones, and has a licence to house up to 70 dogs and 26 cats. Mrs Jamison said: "I used to work here as a YTA and earned £28.50 a week.

"I worked here for three years after I left school."

After leaving the kennels Mrs Jamison, who was originally from Haslingden, worked as a veterinary nurse in Manchester, but decided to buy a kennels business when her daughter was born nearly three years ago. She now lives at the premises.

"We looked at a few kennels when we were ready to buy, but this is hands-on and you get to meet everybody. I really enjoy it," she said.

"It's changed a lot since I worked here. There were a lot more stables, now there are only five, and there's a new cattery and a new set of kennels. It was totally different to today.

"I have got a little girl now and wanted to work from home so I could be here for her. I always loved it here."

Mrs Jamison says she decided to expand because she didn't want to keep turning people away from the kennels, which has been established for more than 20 years.

"It's very popular and we are just turning people away all the time," Mrs Jamison said.

She added she may extend the numbers of animals the business is licensed for if the planning application is successful.

Planners will consider the application after they have received any comments from neighbours.