MUSICAL youngsters in Blackburn and Darwen will benefit from a £310,000 Government grant to improve music lessons and set up a group of centres of excellence.

The grant is one of the biggest anywhere in the country.

Coun Bill Taylor, chairman of the education and training committee, visited St Stephen's Infant School in Blackburn, which is one of the schools which will benefit.

He said: "This excellent news for the authority and means we can offer a range of music teaching for pupils in Blackburn and Darwen."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.