MYSTERY surrounds the closure of West- houghton Greyhound Stadium just months be- fore it was due to reopen following a £100,000 re- vamp.

Greyhound lover Jason Seddon, from Leigh, se- cured a 20-year lease for the Wigan Road site and work started in March last year.

He hoped to transform the site into a major family at- traction that would rival the Belle Vue racing track in Manchester.

But work has come to a halt and Mr Seddon has confirmed the closure on the company’s website.

He said: “It is with sincere regret that I must advise that the stadium is now closed.

“Due to numerous issues it is no longer an option to continue to operate the sta- dium. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have support- ed the track and genuinely wanted it to succeed.”

The track underwent £30,000 of improvements last year.

Increasing the capacity from about 500 to 1,000 spec- tator seats was also in the pipeline.

Mr Seddon was yesterday unavailable for comment, but speaking to The Bolton News last year he said: “It was on its last legs, it was going to close and someone needed to do something with it.

“The greyhound racing game is thriving and local people are crying out for this facility to be brought back.

“We have had massive sup- port from greyhound own- ers across the country and they will travel to race their dogs in Bolton.”

Mr Seddon is among a number of people who have tried to revive greyhound racing at the stadium after the Raikes Lane track in Bolton closed in 1996.

Ian Holden, of Dobb Brow, Westhoughton, who owns the racetrack, has suggest- ed turning it into housing in the past.

No planning applications have been submitted for the site.

Westhoughton South Cllr David Wilkinson said: “We will just have to wait and see what the owner of the stadium wants to do.”