AN historic printing machine at the side of the main road in Darwen has been spruced up, thanks to Crown Paints.

The Hollins Road firm donated paint to refurbish the Calico Surface Printer in Bolton Road, just outside India Mill. It was the final touch of a long-running project started by Coun Brian Taylor, who worked with such a machine many years ago.

He got the help of Darwen firefighters to jetwash it and had the brickwork plinth repaired. Paint was then acquired from Crown and the work carried out by the Community Payback Team.

Coun Taylor said: “Thanks to Crown Paints, we now have an iconic piece of Darwen history restored to its best. Once again, the people of Darwen have come together as a community to restore part of our proud heritage.”

The printer is based on a Calico printing machine from the 18th-century. Throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the machines were the backbone of the industry, with Darwen a major centre for wallpaper production.