A STRIKE that could have resulted in hundreds of Bolton College lecturers and support staff staging a one-day walk out has been suspended.

Up to 200 further education college lecturers at Bolton Community College -- members of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education -- had planned to go on strike on January 30 over pay, along with 160 members of Unison, which represents college support staff.

But the strike has been suspended because talks have resumed with employers.

Colin Gledhill, regional official of NATFHE said he believed employers were about to make a significant improvement on the 2.3 per cent offer previously made, although nothing official has been decided yet. Mr Gledhill said lecturers were "optimistic" about the talks. NATFHE is seeking pay parity with teachers, a national agreement on holidays and ways to address the problem of low pay.

Unison's College convener, John Aspinall, was also optimistic of a deal being reached.

College lecturers are angry that the gap between their salaries and the amounts teachers can earn in state schools has wideneed to 12 per cent in recent years.

A lecturer earns an average of about £21,500 compared with £25,875 for teachers.

Hundreds of students had their classes disrupted in November when staff staged a strike and the Manchester Road Community College was forced to close for a day.