BOLTON is among a list of North West towns said to be bouncing back from the pinch of the recession.

Figures from PwC, a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd, showed that 38 stores in Bolton shut from January, 2010, to May this year. But during that time, 48 shops opened.

Clothes, shoe shops and jewellers have been the hardest hit this year, while the amount of charity shops and pet stores have increased.

Other towns and cities which have seen an increase in shop openings include Liverpool, Manchester, Preston and Warrington.

Lancaster and Rochdale suffered the most, with at least 10 more shops closing than the number opening.

Toby Underwood, advisory partner of PwC in the North of England, said: “Over the next six months, retailers will undoubtedly continue to struggle.

“Certain categories such as clothes shops are likely to experience high levels of financial distress.

“The combination of rising inflation, a squeeze on consumer spending, and dented consumer confidence leading to people increasingly trying to find the best deal online has made life difficult for store-dependent high-street retailers who have seen a drop in sales and reduced footfall.”