RESIDENTS of Breightmet are to become the unlikely stars of a photographic exhibition.

They will be caught on camera as they go about their everyday lives as part of a Humphrey Spender-style Mass Observation.

The area has been chosen to take part in an art project which will see photographer Les Monaghan based there over the next six weeks.

Mr Monaghan will capture the good, the bad and the ugly of the area as part of the six-month photographer-in-residence project, which has been commissioned by Bolton at Home.

Mr Monaghan, who is from Yorkshire but now lives in London, will work with residents, community groups and service providers to develop a true image of Breightmet. He will take candid and posed snaps.

He said: “I want to meet as many people as possible and I really urge them to stop me in the street when I am walking around. It is the small stories that I am most interested in.

“I’m very nosey, so I want to know everything — how many dogs people have, where they go for a walk. I want to avoid stereotypes and see how people in Breightmet want to portray their area.”

The project, which is due to start in the next few weeks, will explore what people think about the physical and social aspects of their neighbourhood and their place within communities.

Mr Monaghan, aged 40, hopes to turn the whole area into a gallery to show off the photos.

He said: “There will be four or five projects within the overall scheme, because just documenting an area is a bit too easy.

“I want to show every aspect of life in Breightmet and hopefully persuade people to turn their homes, shops, chip shops and pubs into galleries.”

Resident Elaine Dolan said: “It’s a simple but brilliant idea that should identify a lot of positive things about the area. The more people willing to get involved and support the project, the better it will be.”

Schools, groups or individuals wanting to get involved in the project can contact Mr Monaghan on 07817 526178 or email mo_lo@hotmail.co.uk.

andrew.greaves@ theboltonnews.co.uk