BLACKBURN with Darwen could again be bidding for city status when the government announces four new cities to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

Council leader Malcolm Doherty said all those towns which had lost out when three new cities were announced yesterday would go forward for the next opportunity.

He admitted he was disappointed the borough had lost out, but said that had been "tempered" by Rovers' 2-0 win on Sunday over Burnley.

Home Office minister Mike O'Brien yesterday named Brighton and Hove, Inverness and Wolverhampton as the three new Millennium Cities, but promised the remaining 36 unsuccessful applicants would have another chance when four more are named in two years time.

Councillor Doherty said: "The chances are we will have another go, but no final decision has been made yet."

He added: "As we did in the past we will look at other ways of raising the profile of the place.

"We have been successful in the past and I am sure we will continue to be successful."

He said the Home Office had informed the losing councils they would keep their bids on file to save them the expense of preparing new ones.

He said the council had "always known it would be a difficult one to win" but thanked all those who had helped prepare Blackburn with Darwen's bid.