TEENAGERS cast their votes for who they would like to see run Bolton as part of a mock election.

Young people from Bolton College and Bolton Sixth Form College took part in the straw poll, organised by public services union Unison to get them thinking about politics.

In the ball-based poll, Labour came out top with 45 per cent of the vote, with the Green Party taking second place with 21 per cent.

Unison coordinator Kieran Grogan said it was excellent to see more than 100 young people turn out and have their say.

He added: “We’d definitely do it again for the general elections next year.

“It was interesting talking to the students and hearing their different reasons for their political choices.

“I think there’s quite a bit of work to do to politically educate the students — either through Unison or through the colleges.”

Liz Temple, marketing and schools liason manager at the Sixth Form College, said they were encouraging students who were old enough to take part.

She added: “It’s part of their education to help them make an independent and informed choice about the political parties.

“We try to give them a broad perspective on the different political parties and what they all stand for.”

Bolton Sixth Form College student Emily Bleakley, aged 17, is too young to take part in today’s elections but said she IS already looking forward to voting in next year’s general election.

Emily, from Westhoughton, said: “I don’t think people understand all the political parties — it’d be good to have more big events so we could know more about them.”