A ROSSENDALE street which is the shortest in the world is facing a battle to hold onto its crown.

Elgin Street in Bacup, which is just 17 feet long, is in the Guinness Book of Records for the accolade.

But a pub landlord in Wick, a town in the Scottish highlands, is hoping to steal the crown.

The entrance to his pub spans the width of Ebenezer Place and is just 6ft 9ins long.

An inquiry has been sent to the Guinness Book of Records in a bid to settle the dispute.

By coincidence, Bacup Coun Janet Farquharson goes on holiday to Wick every year and today she vowed to take a tape measure on her annual visit to assess the rival claim.

She added: "We'll rise to the challenge but I think someone should go and check it out.

"I'll take a measuring tape with me this time and even take some photographs for proof.

"The record is something that's Bacup's so from that point of view it's very important.

"I think we've got to try to keep anything we've got. We lost our carnival to Rawtenstall so we want to keep our shortest street."

The man behind the rival bid is Murray Lamont and he said today the tiny town would be claiming the record regardless of what the Guinness Book of Records ruled.

He said: "Our Lord Lieutenant, councillors and a local historian came down to measure it and we've got to send the findings off.

"It's always been there as one of the things the guides and scouts have to find on their treasure hunts, the smallest street in the town."

Officials believe it may be a quirk of town planning history that Ebenezer Place is so small.

Richard Guest, area roads and transport manager at Highland Council, said: "Ebenezer Place is just really the frontage of a hotel.

"It's possible the current road alignment isn't as it has always been.

"It may be that the adjacent roads have been altered which has had the effect of shortening the street."

Across the globe a host of towns have claimed before to be the world's smallest street.

In Ohio, America, a sign proudly proclaims McKinley Street to be the world record holder at 30 feet.

But Sam Knight, a spokesman for the Guinness Book of Records, said: "The current record is Elgin Street in Bacup, Lancashire at 17ft."