A STAR was named in Blackburn yesterday. 'Star' was the name chosen by Lynne Newlove for Thwaites Brewery's newest shire horse in a Lancashire Evening Telegraph competition.

And winner Lynne was thanking her lucky Star when she met the five-year-old horse - who stands at 18 hands for the first time.

The 35-year-old of Kingsley Close, Feniscowles, said: "He's absolutely lovely, but a bit frisky!"

Lynne, the manager of the Body Shop in Blackburn Shopping Centre, is just four weeks off having her fourth child - which will be her first girl after three sons, Thomas, 10, Joseph, 9 and Cameron, four, who joined their mum to meet Star.

Lynne explained why she chose the winning name.

She said: "It was Christmas time and we had been decorating our store so I thought 'Star'. And with the Thwaites star on top of the brewery as well, I just thought it was right."

Coachman Richard Green, who looks after Star and three other shires in the stables on Eanam, really liked Lynne's choice.

He said: "It's a fabulous name for him. He's a little bit lively, with being new, and a little bit full of himself with a lot of people being about, but he's very good natured."

Star's three fellow shires are Classic, Captain and Royal.

They are used by the brewery on special occasions, promotional work and shows.