LOCAL campaigning in the General Election resumed today, after being suspended following the Manchester terror attack.

Political parties began leafleting and door-knocking in Bolton following Thursday morning’s minute’s silence, but national leaders are due to resume their election contest tomorrow.

Sir David Crausby, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate in Bolton North East, said the time was right to get back to the democratic process.

He said: “We won’t be knocking on doors right away, we will be delivering leaflets and building the campaign up gradually.

“This election is about British freedoms and it is important that we get back to discussing those issues.

“We will not be put under pressure by these sadistic lunatics.”

Chris Green also resumed his campaign for the Conservatives in Bolton West.

He said: “It was right to take time to pay our respects to the victims of the Manchester bomb attack. We mustn’t, however, allow terrorists to suppress democracy. They are enemies of democracy and we must not let them change our way of life - or else they have won.”

Sarah Pochin, the Tories’ candidate in Bolton South East, said she would not restart canvassing personally until Friday as she would feel “uncomfortable” doing so while the national campaigns were still on hold.

UKIP did resume its national campaign today, as party leader Paul Nuttall revealed his manifesto at a Westminster press conference.

Mr Nuttall put the terrorist atrocity at the centre of the manifesto launch, promising measures to cut down on immigration and tighten security.

He said: “The fact that this Islamist terrorist targeted a concert which was primarily attended by children and teenagers simply proves that there is no depth to which these evil and warped individuals will not stoop. When I was elected leader of UKIP six months ago, I was clear right away that the threat posed to our people by Islamic fundamentalism was one of the major issues I and indeed all politicians would face in the coming years.

“I also identified the need to take a far more muscular approach to social integration and against segregation as a key policy area.”