A THREAT to put the children of failed asylum seekers into care has been dropped following a Government U-turn.

And campaigners have praised the role of The Bolton News in having the controversial piece of legislation, known as Section 9, put on hold.

The Home Office climbdown follows a pilot scheme involving 116 families - including one in Bolton - which was aimed at forcing them to return to their former homelands.

Under the Asylum and Immigration Act, failed asylum seekers had their benefits withdrawn and faced the threat of having their children put into care if their parents did not have the means to care for them.

Such a threat faced the Sukula family, now living in Great Lever, who fled the Democratic Republic of Congo following political persecution. Since arriving in Britain in 2001, they have tried to persuade the Government to allow them to stay, but their application has been refused.

Thanks to a campaign backed by The Bolton News, the family were not split up but lived on handouts from friends and charitable organisations. Their case for asylum is being reconsidered by the Home Office.

The Government has now said the policy of removing benefits will not be applied automatically to all failed asylum seekers, but the right to use the legislation will remain.

Jason Travis, of the "Let Them Stay" campaign, said: "The campaign by Bolton organisations, including The Bolton News, Unison and the National Union of Teachers, has undoubtedly led to this policy being abandoned."