THE resurrection of a Bolton institution destroyed by fire in the 1980s is now being backed by police.

Nevada Roller Rink moved to its current home in 2013, and police now think it is so successful in taking young people off the streets that they awarded them a £1,000 grant.

So popular are Nevada's roller skating sessions that they are expanding into 5-a-side football on the same site — a facility formerly used by Bolton Wanderers when they played at the adjoining Burnden Park.

Crowds of up to 70 children went into Nevada's skating hall during half-term last week, a figure often replicated at weekends.

The rink was inspired by the similarly named, but differently spelt Navada Roller Rink, which was gutted by fire in 1985.

Former skater Dennis Hodson was founder of Nevada, which opened in 2008 in Little Lever, as a way of taking children off the streets and keeping them active.

Mr Hodson said: "I was in a meeting with the local councillors and we were talking about things to do with kids and I thought it is always for the kids who do bad, and not nothing for the kids who do good.

"So I thought I'd open a rink, and the council gave me £800 and we had to beg, borrow and scrimp for the rest of it."

Originally just for youngsters, Nevada now offer adult skating lessons from a professional instructor and will use the £1,000 of police funding to modernise the disused astroturf pitch at the back of the hall which was once used by Wanderers stars.

Nevada is also popular for children's birthday parties and school classes, who take a quick course and are awarded a Nevada certificate.

The roller rink applied for a slice of the £50,000 pot police in Bolton recently made available to community groups.

Officers selected their favourite 20-30 groups from more than 100 applicants to award cash to, using funds recovered from criminals through the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

Det Chf Insp Jackson said: "We tried to spread the money far and wide in a way that would give the most back to the community.

"In particular, we looked favourably on projects that would help crime prevention, especially through youth engagement."

Mr Hodson said Nevada has a good relationship with police and thinks the grant shows police think the rink is making a difference in keeping young people off the streets.

Mr Hodson, who is ably supported by assistant manager Jack Murphy, added: "Everyone went to the original Navada. It was so sad when it went.

"We are a bit smaller but we are here. We have done quite well considering we started off with nothing."

"We've had people who have said to me that they met their husband or wife in the old Navada and they want to come here to reminisce."