STUDENTS today issued a plea to bosses at Bolton Institute to preserve the town's identity.

Rumours have circulated that managers at the Institute are considering dropping the town's name from their new title after being granted university status last month.

The Bolton Evening News understands suggestions put forward include the University of West Pennines, the University of South Lancashire and the University of Greater Manchester.

Council chiefs called on Institute bosses to name the facility The University of Bolton but the college's principal, Mollie Temple, said this week that any name change would have to be the subject of a "far-reaching" consultation.

Students' Union president Wayne Taylor: "They are aware that many people do want the name to be The University of Bolton. Certainly the students and staff are keen on that.

"Anything with Bolton in the name would be the right thing.

"Trying to drop the name is like trying to hide something and that's wrong because we're proud of who we are."

Mr Taylor said The University of West Pennines did not "have the right ring" and called for bosses to maintain the momentum the award of university status would give by coming up with the right name quickly.

He also warned against repeating the mistake made by the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, who dropped the name of the town when they were given university status in 1992.

"I would urge them to get it done soon because the longer it takes the more people will start to be concerned," he added.

"I would like it to be in place by the start of the new academic term in September. That way it will be more attractive to new students and people coming through.

"People in Preston felt the university should have retained the town's name and I think there's a lesson to be learned from that."

A new name would have to be put before the Privy Council - who granted the 8,000-student Institute university status - before being approved.

Institute principal Mollie Temple said in a letter to the Bolton Evening News: "We are engaged in a formal process where lots of names will be proposed. We are very pleased to receive suggestions, which are already coming in from staff and interested friends of the Institute.

"At the end of the day we will have to choose one name, but we expect many names to be suggested during this consultation process."