BOLTON Scouts are holding a special St George's Day parade this year which will be combined with a remembrance service for a leading light in the movement.

In a first for the local organisation, the annual event will also pay tribute to Jim Horrocks who died last year aged 88 after being involved with the youth group nearly all his life.

As well as a remembrance service in the Parish Church, the branches have bought a flag especially for the parade which will be blessed and have Jim's name inscribed on it.

Barbara Pritchard, district commissioner for the Bolton East and North District Scouts, said Jim was worthy of such a tribute. She added: "He did so much for the scouts. He was always around.

"He would have been very proud to hear a special service was being held for him on St George's Day."

Jim was brought up in Tonge Fold and then joined the Wolf Cubs at Bolton Parish Church in 1918. He became a Scout in 1922 and dedicated his life to the movement, meeting the founder of the Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell, at least twice.

He became assistant district commissioner of the Tonge Fold division in the early 1950s and received a bar to add to the medal of merit as well as the silver acorn for services to the Scout movement in 1963.

Jim retired from active service in 1976, but continued to attend meetings and organised six-a-side football matches in Bolton East until 1994.

He had worked in the cotton industry as a tackler and loom overlooker and later taught textiles at Bolton Technical College.

He worked until the age of 73 as a consultant to mills in Blackburn and Littleborough.

His son Keith Horrocks, who lives in Middlesbrough, has two children, Peter and Janine.

His daughter, Mavis Cunningham, lives in Bury and also has two children, Lindsay and Scott.

The St George's Day parade will see Bolton East and North District Scouts walk from the town hall square to the Parish Church, starting at 2.15pm, on Sunday April 29. The service will begin at 3pm.