Town championed by Facebook groups

Hundreds of dedicated Market Drayton residents, past and present, have signed up to online forums to champion their town and promote its assets.

More than 700 people have signed up to groups with online social networking site Facebook praising their town and reminiscing about the area.

The Draytonians have rallied to show their civic pride after a similar Facebook group, I Hate Market Drayton, created an online platform to criticise the town.

Now town mayor Councillor Roy Aldcroft said he would be trawling through the cyber scripts this weekend, to find out people's likes and dislikes about the town.

He said issues raised on the Facebook groups could even help to shape the future for the area.

The groups include I love Market Drayton, Who wants to be a Draytonian and Market Drayton Dwellers.

The group Market Drayton Dwellers, which has 570 members, claims to be "a group for those who live or have lived in the fantastic centre of the universe that is Market Drayton".

It mentions Jeffro's bar, town centre pubs and the Muller factory as highlights.

Claire Dunn, one group member, posted a note saying she really missed the town and wished she could return.

She wrote: "I'm a Draytoner born and bred. I moved over three years ago and I really miss the place. I would give anything to be back there."

Councillor Aldcroft said: "If it's bringing Market Drayton to be a talking point then that's good and if people are talking the town up then even better.

"I will take into account what people say about the town," he said.