WEIGHING in at an astonishing 2.8 tonnes and towering over two metres high and seven metres long, Bolton Museum's returning star feature was something of a giant of the Jurassic period.

Today, winners of the museum's children's competition to name the resident dinosaur were presented with their monster prizes at special awards ceremony.

The ceremony took place under the fossil in the spectacular new gallery set to open later this year.

After over 400 entries were submitted to name the dinosaur, judges finally settled on the name Jango ­— which they though was short, original and in tune with the creature's scientific name.

The seven winners Oliver Sealey, Aurora Green, Lilly-Mae Bailey, Elijah Rowley, Alfie Ogden, Paddy and Jimmy McNabb, Samuel Clark and Rhys Urmston; were all presented with certificates as well as vouchers to spend at the museum shop.

One lucky winner, two-year-old Lilly-Mae, was also chosen at random to win a family pass to the Dino Falls Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre.

The titanic herbivore's skeleton, which will now be known as Jango the Tuojiangosaurus, will be suspended from the ceiling becoming the focus point of the new shop and atrium area, when the museum reopens in a few weeks time.

Jango has been in storage for several months while work is ongoing to create Bolton Museum's new Egyptology Gallery.

The major refurbishment work will help showcase the town's Egyptology collection, which is one of the most significant in the UK.

Bolton Council’s executive cabinet member for culture, tourism, and sport, Councillor John Byrne said: “Jango is back in pride of place and the competition has really sparked children’s interest and imagination.

“Bringing history to life is the true magic of libraries and museums and they’re a fantastic learning resource for people to find out about the past, present and the forces shaping our future.

“With Jango and the new Egyptology Gallery opening later this year, we expect Bolton Library and Museum to be a hugely popular attraction not only with locals but also visitors from far and wide.”