In Looking Back in the past we have touched on what became known as ‘the Fylde Street disaster’.

In October 1957 what was thought to be a small sink hole appeared on the street in the Moses Gate area of Bolton.

The Bolton News: This photo gives an indication of the scale of the sewer collapse on Fylde Street in 1957

But it soon became a major issue as a hole over 120 feet long and up to 40 feet deep appeared causing some of the terraced houses to collapse.

A broken sewer was blamed and around 400 people had to be evacuated. A total of 19 properties collapsed and a further 121 were badly damaged.

The Civil Defence Volunteers were called in to help residents rescue their possessions from homes deemed too dangerous to live in.

The Bolton News: Civil Defence Volunteers helped salvage furniture from properties on Fylde Street

We have found these great photographs in the archives which were taken at the time and show the work to rescue prized possessions and to shore up the surviving properties.

John Seddon, the Mayor of Farnworth, set up a relief fund which raised over £20,000 for those affected.