A POT of £25,000 is to be made available to Ledbury traders to spruce up the fronts of their shops.

The funds have been secured through the Ledbury Initiative to regenerate the town.

The fund is open to independent shop owners in the town who want to repair or improve the appearance of their businesses.

It can also be made available to those who want to replace modern, plastic signs over their shop fronts with new ones sporting a more traditional look.

A maximum of £2,000 can be applied for by each shopkeeper to cover up to half the cost of the improvements.

Len Huff, chairman of Ledbury Ind-ependent Traders' Association, welcomed the initiative, saying it could help Ledbury's prospects of winning this year's Britain In Bloom competition.

"The shopkeepers' endeavours will surely add much to the overall appearance of the town," he said, "I am sure everybody will be very grateful to them for that."