PEOPLE around the world are being given an insight of life in Horwich -- at the click of a "mouse."

The town's website has now gone live and is already proving to be a popular and unusual attraction.

Town council chiefs hopes plenty of potential tourists and new businesses will be attracted to the town thanks to the new website, which is the only one of its kind to be set-up by a local council in the UK.

The site includes information on Horwich's social and industrial history, public amenities, businesses, leisure facilities, transport services, town council and contacts for community and voluntary organisations.

Residents have already been busy surfing the net and looking at their town's website during the few days since it went officially live on Friday.

Cllr Barbara Ronson has been delighted with the response to the website so far and said: "I was at Rivington and Blackrod Craft Fair oearlier this month and lots of people said they had looked at the website and loved it.

"The response has been very positive and other organisations in the town which already have websites now want to link-in with ours.

"The website looks very good and there are some pretty pictures.

"We now hope people all over the world will access the site.

"The whole thing is going to be quite exciting."

Members of the town council hope to promote Horwich in every way possible in the next few months and are aiming to capitalise on the arrival of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002. Badminton events are already planned for the new Bolton Arena at Middlebrook and Rivington and Blackrod High School has been chosen as a base for mountain biking, cycle road race and time trail events.

The town council also hopes to rejuvenate Horwich Chamber of Commerce and possibly link-up to companies in Westhoughton and Blackrod for a three town business link.

Any voluntary and sporting organisations featured on the site are urged to inform Horwich town clerk's office of any changes related to their group.

The website address is horwich.gov.uk