CROWN Paints has been a long-standing member of the East Lancashire business scene for more than 240 years.

It has employed thousands of people, mainly from its base town Darwen, for decades.

Crown's heritage goes all the way back to 1777, when Dob Meadows print shop - where the head offices have remained ever since - was first established for calico printing.

Over the following century, the business began to produced commercial wallpaper at Belgrave Mill, in the centre of Darwen and in 1904 began its first experiments into water based paints.

Just two years later, the first batch of paint was produced and sold under the brand name Hollins Distemper, with the company becoming the Walpamur Paint Company by 1910.

A landmark year was 1966 when its first range of paints manufactured and sold under the Crown name, as Crown Plus Two paints, was launched.

It was William Holdings in 1987 and then by Akzo Nobel in 1990.

In 1982, 42 employees were awarded long service awards after they reached 1,100 years at the company between them.

A presentation evening was held at the Crown House.

The chairman Peter Burns and managing director George Campbell gave out the awards.

Earlier this year the Lancashire Telegraph reported more than £1million was set to be invested in the Darwen paint plant if plans were approved.

The Crown Paints polymer plant is located on Lower Eccleshill Road in the town and is part of the Hempel group which has a turnover of £1.5billion.

An application has been submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council for six tanks with equipment and pipes and also the installation of a secondary site entrance with fencing and gates.

In the report to planners, it states Crown Paints has two manufacturing sites in the UK — one in Darwen and another in Hull.