Less than 100 flowering baskets will decorate the lampposts of Leigh this summer - around 50 less than the previous year.

Yet the fall in the numbers will cost more as Leigh Town Council trials a special hanging basket which needs less watering.

Last year, town council chiefs spent £4,391 providing 120 hanging baskets across the centre of Leigh as well as in outlying areas like Manchester Drive.

Around 20 more baskets were provided in the town by Leigh Traders' Association.

However, for next year, councillors have agreed to spend about £6,000 for a total of 95 hanging baskets.

Town councillor Mike King said in the long run the baskets would save money because they would last longer.

He added: "If we had exactly the same number of baskets as last year, the cost of tending them and watering them would have gone up a great deal.

"What we are trying to do in association with Southend Council is experiment in saving manpower costs by having more expensive baskets."

The new baskets hold a mini-reservoir which means they need less frequent filling which cuts maintenance costs.

Fears that the baskets could become "hanging bombs" have been dispelled by Southend Council engineers.

Town councillor David Johnson said: "Southend have said that the brackets around Leigh will support the new baskets so there is no problem."

The drop in the number of baskets has partly been caused by Leigh Traders Association pulling out of looking after a number of baskets.

For next year, there will be:

13 baskets along Leigh Road between Woodfield Road and Grand Drive;

Ten baskets along Rectory Grove

16 baskets along Elm Road from Glendale Gardens up to St Clement's Church

19 baskets along London Road from Cottesmore Gardens to Hadleigh Road

14 more baskets on London Road from Station Road to Pavilion Drive

Ten baskets on New Road

13 baskets along Broadway.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.