Empty shop fronts get dressed up

Shop windows in Swindon are covered up to "look a little more pleasant"

Empty shop windows in two Wiltshire towns have been given makeovers as officials attempt to disguise signs of the recession.

A number of shops in Swindon and Calne have shut down in recent months.

Calne Town Council has now spent £1,000 on posters for three shop fronts, which promote the town.

In Swindon, several shops have images of headless figures stuck on them which work with people's reflections to make a complete picture.

Calne town councillor Roy Golding said: "We're using it to cover up what is a sore on the high street.

"It's a fabric and plastic coating over the shop windows to make the street scene look nice, cheer the place up, brighten the place up,"

Two companies responsible for promoting Swindon town centre, inSwindon and The New Swindon Company, have taken similar steps to stop the impact of the recession being a daily eyesore on the high street.

Simon Jackson, from inSwindon, said: "Like many towns in the country we've got some empty units in the high street and we wanted to come away from that.

"Maybe do something a little bit interactive, a little bit fun to try and make the high street look a little bit more pleasant in these difficult times."

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