GALE force winds wreaked havoc in the Bolton area over the weekend, leaving three people injured in Farnworth and wrecking a derelict house in Little Lever.

A 26-foot long shop sign fell onto three people walking in busy Market Street in Farnworth at 3pm on Saturday, narrowly missing a two-week-old baby.

Police cordoned off the area while fire crews made the area around the shop safe. They also took down another shop sign which was coming loose further down the street.

The fallen sign, which belonged to Trade Exchange, hit Darren Garstang from Little Hulton. He suffered a broken ankle. It missed his girlfriend, who was carrying a baby.

Nigel and Karen Booth, from Kearsley, were also hurt. Mrs Booth suffered facial and neck injuries and Mr Booth had an arm injury. All three were taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital and released after treatment.

One side of Market Street was closed off to traffic for 45 minutes after the incident.

Later in the day, in Ashton Street, Little Lever, the strong winds forced police to send in contractors to demolish a house at 9pm.

Workers from M and A Demolition demolished the house and fenced off the road.

Local residents have been campaigning to get the house pulled down since a fire nearly three years ago left it derelict.

They claimed the privately-owned house, which had been boarded up and left without a roof, had attracted drug users, fly tippers and trespassers.

Jonathan Parks, aged 26, who has lived next door but one to the house for eight years, said: "It's been a nightmare for people living in this street.

"When we first moved in someone did live there, but since then it's been a constant problem.

"There have been drug addicts, then the fire, kids got inside and people used it as a dumping ground.

"It was bringing down the appearance of the street, not to mention house values. We have wanted something to be done and it looks like mother nature has finally taken over."