A POP-UP museum celebrating Bolton’s sporting greats attracted more than 20,000 people to a shopping centre.

Crompton Place Shopping Centre staged Crompton’s Champions, a two-day pop-up museum, earlier in this month.

Centre manager Malcolm Angus said the event had been a “huge success” in terms of visitor numbers and retail sales.

Mr Angus said: “We welcomed more than 20,000 people through the doors over the weekend of the sporting museum and many of our retailers reported positive sales figures.

“We plan in events such as these throughout the year because we are aware of our status as a prime shopping centre at the heart of the community.

“It is a great way to encourage more shoppers through the door but also to give something back to the loyal shoppers who continue to visit us on a regular basis.”

Nicola Winstanley, from Clarks, said: “There was a clear increase in sales generally and a definite increase in children’s shoes sales that weekend too so it was a good weekend for us.

“It’s been handy because traditionally this can be a quieter time of year, shortly before the back to school rush, so this was a good sales boost and got us all in the swing for the upcoming weeks which are always one of our busiest periods of the year.”

Shuaib Ishaq, one of three brothers who owns the Subway franchise at Crompton Place, said: “There were lots of families coming in to us over that weekend which was great.

“Anything which encourages more shoppers into the centre gets the thumbs up from us.”

As part of the sporting museum, there were treasure hunts around the centre and displays and information based around more than 20 of Bolton’s sporting greats including wrestler Vic Faulkner, boxer Amir Khan, sprinter Ethel Johnson, Whites legend Nat Lofthouse and cricketer William Farrimond.

There were also comic performers, a football table and a chance to ride a bicycle fast enough to power a light bulb.

All of this was shared with families visiting the event by Connie the Constant Commentator.