THE start of the school holidays has been heralded by a raft of activities in Bolton town centre.

Drummers from the percussion fusion band Drum Machine entertained shoppers in Victoria Square as the sun blazed down on the town centre.

And there is a week-long series of events planned including live jazz, street entertainers and storytellers.

Until Friday there will be children’s entertainers, storytellers, magicians and facepainters.

The week will conclude on Saturday with the annual Bolton Strongman competition, along with dance and music.

There will also be free parking all day Saturday and Sunday at Topp Way, Deane Road and Octagon multi-storey car parks.

Residents or visitors who want to find out more about what is happening in Bolton over the summer can also visit the new Visit Bolton website at visitbolton.com when it launches today.

Bolton Council leader Cliff Morris said: “We wanted to celebrate the nice weather and mark the start of the summer holidays for young people by offering a packed programme of entertainment across the town centre.

“We hope that children will enjoy the music, storytellers and facepainters and their parents will enjoy getting some shopping done.”