WORK to erect an enormous crane in Bolton town centre has been delayed.

Engineers from construction firm Mclaren have been working since last week to build the giant luffing crane in Bridge Street.

It was hoped that the crane would be fully built and operational by the start of this week but contractors have said that "complications" have meant the work will be delayed until next week.

In a further complication, the delay means that work to build the crane next week will now have to take place between the hours of midnight and 5am because of the time it takes to be granted a daytime road closure.

The crane will eventually soar 123 metres over the Bolton skyline and will fit the steel structure for a new cinema being built on the site of the Market Place Shopping Centre

It was shipped over from Poland and will eventually be used to hoist the steel structure that will house the nine-screen cinema, a key part of the major redevelopment of the Market Place, with work expected to take about 7 months..

Project manager Steve Hatch said: "Work will get under way again on Monday so we have lost about a week but it should not have too much effect on the overall length of time the project will take."