A CRIME-plagued proprietor has met business security experts from Bolton Council to discuss his shop's future.

Alan Fairclough, owner of A and M second-hand shop on Tonge Moor Road, agreed to talks after the BEN told how vandals and thieves targeted his shop five times in 10 months -- forcing him to consider leaving Bolton.

Mr Fairclough met Cllr Frank White, community safety officer Richard White, and business security adviser Vincent Glover in the shop.

Cllr White said the council would now work with Mr Fairclough to conduct a security audit on the shop to assess damage but stressed that any modifications were the responsibility of his landlord.

But he said help could soon be at hand in the form of Government grants to finance a regeneration bid to help restore pride to the area -- titled the SRB6 scheme.

Initiative

Bolton Council is currently awaiting the outcome of cash bids it has applied for under the SRB6 scheme.

Cllr White said: "If we are successful, then this shop will be in a queue awaiting funding under the security business initiative of the SRB6 scheme.

"Hopefully, this may bring more life back into Tonge Moor Road. It is a people-based scheme. But if there are landlords out there who think they will get hundreds of thousands of pounds to do up their properties they should think again. It is not a freebie."

And Cllr White revealed the project -- which includes neighbouring Breightmet and Burnden -- would spark into life next year.

Mr Fairclough, 47, said the area had gone rapidly downhill over the past years and added: "People are just not going to Tonge Moor Road anymore.

"People cannot park up and there are quite a lot of shops that have closed down. Hopefully the SRB6 will bring a bit of trade back to the area.

"I will just see what happens."