LIFE'S a laugh a minute for the people of East Lancashire who rank high in the national chuckle chart.

A new rib-tickling survey shows people in the town are the third biggest laughers in Britain, giggling an average of 22 times a day.

That's four more laughs a day more than the national average with only the Welsh and West Midlanders out-doing Blackburn in the hilarity stakes.

But what makes the jolly folk of the town break out in uncontrollable fits of laughter?

Studies at Stanford University in America show that a good belly laugh can give you the same health benefits as ten minutes on a rowing machine. It takes 26 muscles to smile and 62 to frown.

University of Chicago studies that regular laughter can add eight years to lifespan. Every laugh loses you three-and-a-half calories.

Reporter Nick Evans hit the streets to find out what made people giggle. Geraldine Tootell, 68, of Hampden Avenue, Darwen, said: "I remember seeing a woman walk past a pub in Darwen once when the automatic sprinklers went off to water the flowers. She got soaked and put her umbrella up because she thought it was raining."

Bus driver Dave King, 50, of Brandy House Brow, Blackburn, said: "Some of the things passengers say and do crack me up. Two old dears got on the bus once and asked for return tickets -- the only problem was it was the Hyndburn circular!" Gary James Lowe, 38, of Parkwood Road, Blackburn, said: "Only Fools and Horses is my favourite comedy. The scene where Del is in his yuppie phase and is trying to play it cool in a trendy bar and he falls over when he tries to lean on the bar is an absolute classic."

Terry Gilmartin , 47, of Green Haworth, from the In the Frame stall in Blackburn Market, said: "Some comedians on the telly make me laugh, but it's more everyday things that people do. There's one guy called Joel who works here and everything he does just goes horribly wrong. He's a walking disaster."

Tina Nesbitt, 28, of Barn Meadow Crescent, Rishton, pictured here with boyfriend Michael Andersen, 24, said: "Slapstick humour like Fawlty Towers gets me every time, especially when Manuel the waiter gets hit over the head with the frying pan.

"That and my parents who make me laugh because they are so embarrassing."