BOLTON has been hailed as one of the North-west's most popular places to shop.

Manchester-based property advisers GVA Grimley has pinpointed the town centre as "a desirable place for retailers to invest".

The company added that it should continue to expand into the New Year.

In the report -- Town Centres 2000 -- the property adviser praises the work of Bolton's Town Centre Management Company is successfully marketing the centre as a place to shop.

And while retailers have seen a lukewarm start to festive trading nationally, Karen Wheeldon, TCMC director, says early indicators suggest a healthy economy in the centre this Christmas.

Mrs Wheeldon said marketing ploys like the ice rink in Victoria Square and TV advertising have succeeded in bringing new customers into the town centre and keep them coming back.

Mrs Wheeldon and the company are praised in the report for "playing an important role in attracting new retailers to the town".

The management company, which works with 30 partners and has a budget of £1m, has been hailed as "one of the leading town centre management schemes in the North-west".

Mrs Wheeldon said: "What we have seen is a lot of people coming in from outside the area.

"We have seen the number of visitors increasing and some of the stores have reported good trading figures during the week when traditionally the town centre is not as busy.

"We have our sights set on attracting a number of high-profile overseas retailers to the town in the New Year.

"We cannot mention names because of market sensitivity but as a company we are looking to bring in new investors.

"There are a number of new retailers coming into the UK and we should be able to attract them so watch this space."