Eagle-eyed readers may have spotted these workmen scaling the heights of a chimney at Royal Bolton Hospital.

The repairs to the flue ejectors were carried out as part of an effort to reduce the backlog of maintenance work needed ahead of a proposed new energy centre.

The hospital is currently half way through the project which is expected to be finished by September.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has entered into an energy performance contract with Breathe Energy Limited, to develop and implement a range of innovative schemes at the Farnworth site.

Key projects within the programme include installing a clean gas-fired combined heat and power plant (CHP) and upgrading the engineering infrastructure.

There are also plans to extract water from a natural source beneath the site to provide for most of the hospital’s needs.