COMMUNITIES secretary Eric Pickles has described the marginal Bolton West parliamentary seat as “vital” for the Conservative party’s hopes of sealing victory in May’s General Election.

The cabinet minister was speaking during a visit to Victoria Mill in Atherton and gave his backing to Tory candidate Chris Green — who is hoping to overturn Labour MP Julie Hilling’s slender majority in May.

The meeting, which also saw Wigan Councillor Norman Bradbury hand Mr Pickles a petition calling for an town council in Atherton, was held inside the Charlie Park play centre inside the mill and saw a number of residents appear to be refused entry, with a security guard placed on the door.

Mr Pickles is the latest in a long line of Conservative “big hitters” to visit the constituency in the run up to the election, including Chancellor George Osborne and Prime Minister David Cameron.

The local government chief said the Bolton West seat was crucial for his party and would help them to avoid the prospect of the country being ran by Labour leader Ed Miliband and former Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond, who is vying for a Westminster seat.

He said: “If we don’t win the seat, the prospect of the country being run by a combination of Mr Milliband and Mr Salmond becomes that bit closer — so Bolton West is vital for our plans to get a clear Conservative majority.

“I think Chris Green is very much the man for the job, he is fantastic and I am planning to be up here supporting him quite a bit.”

Speaking after she was refused entry to the meeting, Labour councillor Karen Aldred, who represents the Atherton Ward, said: "They point blank refused to let us in.

"We just came along to what we thought was a public meeting because we wanted to hear what Mr Pickles had to say, but they shut the shutters, it was all very cloak and dagger.

​"I live in Atherton and have done for many years and I took time off work to come down here."