A HANDFUL of hardy shoppers, battling against freezing rain at lunchtime on Sunday, were surprised to see a human chain of more than 150 people in Bolton town centre.

People of all ages braved the elements in a long line along Knowsley Street with banners proclaiming "break the chains of debt", "cancel the debt" and "Jubilee 2000".

The chain was composed of members of the congregations of Victoria Hall Methodist Mission, St Andrew and St George URC, the Society of Friends and Bank Street Chapel.

Sunday was 300 days to the Millennium, and was marked by special events in the 52 countries where Jubilee 2000 - campaigning for affluent countries to write off the crippling debts of the Third World - already has national campaigns. Already the British, French, German, Italian and American governments have moved the issue of international debt relief much higher up their agendas.

Campaigners say it is because of the tremendous public support for measures to set free the poorest countries from the suffering caused by struggling to repay debts which they can never afford to repay.

Jubilee 2000 claims that politicians have been forced to listen, but only if millions of people are mobilised will they act to end "debt bondage".

Ed Cox, a minister at St Andrew and St George's Church, and an active member of the Greater Manchester Jubilee 2000 network, said: "We need the ordinary person in the street and in the pew to sign the petition, write cards and letters and join this vital campaign.

"The need for action is urgent as the Millennium is nearly upon us."

More information is available from Chris Cresswell on Bolton 301324.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.