THE act of terror was designed to create hate and divide communities, but today people of all faith, cultures and all ages stood united to remember the victims of the Manchester attacks.

People left their place of work to gather in Victoria Square where shoppers joined those who had come into town especially to pay their respects to those who died in Monday's Manchester bombing.

The picture was the same in town centres across the country as people stopped for the national minute's silence.

Crowds started congregating before 11am, at the steps, where they were joined by civic leaders for a short service led by the Revd Canon Matt Thompson, Vicar of Bolton.

He said: "In honour of those who lost their lives in the attack in the Manchester Arena on Monday evening, we are invited to stand together in their memory to think of those hurt, injured or traumatised .

"We also honour those who reached out to help in people's hour of need and those who rushed to danger to put their lives on the line in order to keep all our communities safe.

"We stand together too as a sign of our firm commitment that our values of love peace, justice and compassion can never be defeated, nor can they be divided one from another in the act of hatred, or violence.

"We hold in our minds and our hearts the stories that we have heard, the events that we perhaps ourselves have participated in, those known to us, those close to us who have been involved in these circumstances and we stand together with them now.

"So now as we stand together let us keep silence to remember those who lost their lives in Manchester their families and their communities, all who have suffered injury, trauma and loss from all nationalities people of faith, people of no faith across the country and beyond.

"So now I invited you for a minute to keep silence as we stand together."

Heads were bowed and tears were shed as the people of Bolton with the rest of the country stopped for a minute to remember those "who cry this day in their grief" and "those injured and traumatised".

After the silence, Canon Thompson concluded the emotional service with prayers.

He said: "We remember our desire to live in harmony and peace with all people.

"We pray for those caught up in the events of Manchester."

Prayers were said for those facing the future without a child, parent or loved one and those who are injured and traumatised and for peace.

Following the service, people spent time to read the tributes on the steps, some leaving their own.

The Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Roger Hayes, joined them.

He said: "There was so much outpouring of sympathy and love.

"Bolton is a very compassionate town and it is absolutely phenomenal to see all the those tributes from people her today and the people who were here on Tuesday.

"The act is designed to bring hatred and disunity and I think the people of Bolton have shown that is not going to work and are determined that is not going to work and that bodes very well for what we do in Bolton."

Jackie Taylor, from Great Lever, came into town for the minute's silence.

She said: "It was very important for me to come into town today for the minute's silence, families close to home have lost people.

"I laid flowers and a card."