TOWNS in East Lancashire have slipped down a league table of most profitable places to do business.

A survey based on profit margins of towns across the country found that Blackburn had fallen from 63rd place to 115th with an average margin of 5.51 per cent and Burnley from 78th to 148th with 4.67 per cent.

Preston is further down the table at 122nd and Lancaster is the top placed town in the county at 35th.

Worthing took first place in the UK with an average profit margin of 24 per cent.

The survey is based on the accounts of 235,000 companies across the country and compilers Experian said it showed that profits overall were on the up.

"Every town and city has its fair share of highly successful, profitable businesses but inevitably some towns taken as a whole have experienced a decline in profitability this year," said Peter Brooker, of Experian

"Overall, however, this picture is one of a gradually improving economy across the country. "Although the survey is just one indicator of economic performance it is important that businesses, development organiations and local government are able to judge the overall performance of a town or region and have a reliable guide to where real wealth coming into the area is created."

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