COUNCILLORS have demanded action be taken on an “appalling” looking former bridal wear shop at the entrance to Darwen.

Sunnyhurst councillor Dave Smith is leading the town council’s ‘grot spots’ campaign to clean up run-down buildings along the A666.

He highlighted the empty shop at 133 Blackburn Road as “a shambles that is giving a poor impression of the town”.

Coun Smith said he had written on behalf of the town council to the person whom he believed owned the property, but was yet to receive a reply.

Coun Smith said: “That shop is really prominent. It’s at the entrance to the town and is the first thing you see if you come down Earnsdale Road.

“It’s very poor, a shambles. It wouldn’t take two minutes to remove that veranda, and it’s not like the owner lives a long way away.

"I’ve written but I’ve had no reply. There’s no excuse really – it looks appalling. It’s an eyesore.”

The property has been in its current condition for a year. It is believed the veranda was damaged in high winds.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is trying to trace the property owner. It has powers under the Housing Act 2004 to make the owner repair the building if it is deemed to be in a poor state.

Darwen Town Council leader Steve Duncan has urged the public to help with the clean-up campaign by identifying problem properties.

He said: “As a town council, we would then try to find out who owns the properties and put pressure on them to sort the problem out.

“Hopefully, it will be a success and we can roll the scheme out into other areas of the town.”