A SICK phone pest has left hundreds of Bolton youngsters heartbroken after a promised day out at a top UK theme park proved to be a hoax.

The telephone conman contacted Bolton Lads and Girls Club claiming to be the general manager of the Alton Towers park in Staffordshire.

The caller, who gave his name as Mr Evans, told delighted staff at the Bark Street Club that he would close the park for the day as a special treat for 500 Bolton children -- and provide all refreshments.

But when staff members at the youth club contacted Alton Towers managers to arrange for more tickets to be sent out, they discovered they had been duped.

Today Patsy Cowan, after school club and holiday club co-ordinator, slammed the hoax caller's fun park prank.

She said: "We're such a well known club and we do get some really unusual gestures and donations made to us from all over the country.

"At the time of the call we thought it was fantastic, even too good to be true, but we never had any reasons to doubt the caller's intentions.

"We're just devastated that someone could do something like this to so many young people."

The conman caller even rang the Bolton youth club back, hours after his first call, to check how many tickets should be posted out. He left a telephone number which later proved to be unobtainable.

Volunteers at the club had even changed a summer programme of events which has now been sent out to youngsters and includes details of the hoax day out scheduled for June 1.

Up to 500 youngsters would have travelled to the fun park, just paying for their coach fare.

Police

Today an Alton Towers spokeswoman confirmed they had been contacted by the Bolton youth club.

She added: "We're appalled that anyone should take such action and we're not happy that somebody has pretended to be from Alton Towers."

Police chiefs confirmed they are now investigating the hoax call which has been reported to them.

Chief Insp Alan Greene, of Bolton Central police station, added: "If a hoax call constitutes harrassment or is malicious we would consider action. We will be looking into this matter to see if it fits any of these criteria."