GREATER Manchester Police deal with 80 burglaries a day — more than any other force outside London. What is worrying is that police are warning that the problem is expected to get worse, especially at this time of year with longer nights and homes
DOROTHY and Toto are not in Kansas anymore . . . and would rather be back in Bolton! After a critically acclaimed run in 2011, The Octagon brings back a wonderfully quirky take on the L Frank Baum classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, running until
I WRITE in support of Roger Hayes in reference to the vote on the Prime Minister’s deal for leaving the European Union. It is a travesty, not worth the paper it’s written on and should be totally rejected. Parliament is tearing itself apart
BREXIT, Brexit and even more Brexit. The subject has been wall to wall on every TV channel, newspaper and social media feed all week. Which is understandable. B****t (as I shall refer to it forthwith) is the most momentous event to affect
A MAN who claimed he had extremist material on his phone because he was bored has been jailed for terrorism offences. Specialist bomb disposal officers found documents and manuals on how to make explosives, and the impact they have, when they visited
POLICE seized the car of an uninsured driver just after dropping off another impounded vehicle. Traffic officers discovered a woman driving a black Mazda with no insurance at around 10.30am on Thursday, shortly after leaving the Hough Green garage
A BOLTON primary school’s Christmas production could be filmed and seen by millions of television viewers. Ladywood School has been shortlisted as a finalist in Virgin TV’s national Christmas Stars competition. If the Masefield Road school wins
A TEENAGER who made hoax bomb threats to hundreds of UK schools - including some in Greater Manchester - has been jailed. False threats were made to schools in Rochdale, Tameside and Oldham in March. Today George Duke-Cohan was jailed for three
POLICE are searching for a 23-year-old man wanted for failing to appear in court. Tyrone Larkin was wanted for suspected road traffic offences but missed his scheduled date in court. He is believed to have links to the Bolton area. Anyone
HOMES suitable for the elderly should be prioritised in Blackrod, according to a draft plan released today. New, converted and extended independent, assisted living and extra care facilities for older people should be encouraged, the plan says.
A MORTIFIED mum sent her five-year-old son to his school nativity dressed as a shepherd, unaware the costume came with an inflatable sheep sex doll. Helen Cox spent £16.99 on Amazon for the fancy dress costume for son Alfie, who was delighted it
THIS week’s mystery picture takes us back to a building, on the left, clearly constructed when this road was a little backwater and before the onset of the Industrial Revolution unleashed its wholesome for the very few but for many an unwholesome backdrop
MOTORISTS are facing long delays after a crash on the M60. The incident happened at around 1.15pm in the clockwise carriageway between junction 17 at Prestwich and junction 18 at Simister Island. Two lanes have been closed and traffic is tailing
LOCAL producer Red Bank Cider was proudly flying the flag on Lancashire Day at Westminster Palace. Red Bank Cider was one of several fine food and drink businesses from Lancashire, invited by Marketing Lancashire to promote their produce in the
A PETITION has been launched to get a Buzzcocks song to number one, following Pete Shelley’s death. The Leigh-born musician, who fronted the Bolton-formed band, reportedly died aged 63, following a heart attack at his home in Estonia on Thursday
WOMEN who need a specialist breast reconstruction have been left without anyone to carry out their operation. Mastectomy patients in Greater Manchester would normally go to Wythenshawe Hospital for deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap
A CIVIC funeral will be held for a former councillor weeks after a similar service for his late wife, the first female leader of Bolton Council. The service for honorary alderman Bob Ronson, who died aged 83 on Monday, will take place at St Catherine's
CHARITIES are still awaiting payment following a controversial winter festival as a row about money rumbles on. Bolton Hospice and Boot Out Breast Cancer stood to benefit from the Winter Weekend held at Bolton Arena at the end of last month.
O2 customers affected after a technical fault left millions unable to get online could be in line for compensation. The mobile network suffered disruption from 5am on Thursday, with full service not returning until early today. Guidance from
A FINANCE expert scooped the top prize at Bolton's Best Staff Awards. The awards celebrate the work council staff do to improve the quality of life for everyone in the borough. Shakeel Ahmed, who works in Bolton Council’s Money Skills team, was
BUZZCOCKS frontman Pete Shelley has died aged 63, the band's management has said. The Leigh-born musician reportedly died following a heart attack at his home in Estonia yesterday. He formed the band in 1975 in Bolton with Howard Devoto.
TRAIN strikes will go ahead across the North West after a third series of emergency talks broke down this week. Rail union bosses today confirmed plans to go ahead with their 39th strike in the ongoing battle over the role of conductors on services
A NEW housing development could be built on the site of a former care home in Kearsley. An application to build 33 homes on an empty site in Alderbank Close has been submitted to Bolton Council. The homes would mostly be three-bedroom semi-detached
MOTORISTS who drive through a puddle and splash pedestrians can land themselves a whopping great big fine. It doesn’t happen very often, but drivers who are proven to have deliberately targeted pedestrians could be handed a £5,000 bill. Under
THESE youngsters were hitting the right notes for senior citizens in December, 1975 when they gave a concert of Christmas music. The children in the recorder group were taking part in their first public concert.
A SHEEP that miraculously survived a vicious dog attack has given birth to lambs. Dorothy the sheep was one of five sheep badly injured during the incident at Paddock Leach Farm, in Ainsworth, in January. One of the sheep had to be put down after
A GREYHOUND rescue centre got into the festive spirit as it held its Christmas fair on Sunday, Makants Greyhound Rescue NW, which is based in Tyldesley, hosted the event at Boothstown British Legion. There were stalls ranging from crafts and
BOLTON'S Winter Festival is now open to the public. An ice rink, tipi bar and Santa's grotto are among the festivities. Here's a round up of all the main attractions, including opening times and prices: Ice skating and Tipi bar A giant
FIREFIGHTERS tackled a blazing car in the early hours of this morning. It is believed the car, which was on Gainsborough Avenue, was deliberately set alight. A crew from Bolton Fire Station attended the scene at 2.15am and spent half-an-hour
CHRISTMAS was 'ruined' for one youngster after she saw Santa on his sleigh — without his beard and hat. Kamarra Fox was enjoying Horwich Rotary Club's annual festive float with her six-year-old niece when they spotted Father Christmas partially
A SERVICE will be held to remember those who lost their lives in a mining accident in 1910. The Pretoria Pit disaster left 344 men and boys dead, after an underground explosion in Over Hulton. December 21 will mark the 108th anniversary since
A BUSINESS which failed to account for its waste has been fined for breaching its legal responsibilities. VIP Auto Centre Ltd of Deane Road was found guilty of a duty of care offence at Bolton Magistrates Court. Council enforcement officers visited
FOUR women were helped back into work thanks to a pilot scheme run in Johnson Fold. The peer navigators saw Bolton at Home tenants employed by the organisation to work in their community, helping neighbours. The scheme was piloted in Johnson
BOLTON Hospice is looking for a Monday volunteer to serve customers in its gift shop at the hospice main site. The shop is open from 10am-4pm and volunteers are need to cover just 3 hours of the day. Those who think they might be able to help
OVER 90% of reported burglaries in Bolton never led to a prosecution. Between October 2017 and 2018 there were 3,195 cases reported to police, with reports from officers showing that no suspect was identified in 2,716 instances and services were
GREATER Manchester Police deal with more burglaries than any other force in the UK outside of London. Data collected by officers in September shows that there were 2,450 burglaries across the region - over 80 every day - and police have warned
THE PFA will speak to senior players at Bolton Wanderers this morning to see if they will be required to provide financial assistance towards wages during the current turmoil. Frustration in the Whites’ camp is high after players and coaching staff
FARNWORTH boxer Jack Flatley returns to home soil in Bolton tomorrow looking to end the year on a high. The 24-year-old has an unbeaten professional record of 12 wins from 13 outings and is eyeing a national title shot in 2019. But first he wants
A £1,000 prize is up for grabs just before Christmas. Bolton Hospice's 2018 Christmas Draw also includes the change of winning a Kindle Paperwhite, £100 of Love to Shop vouchers, Luxury Food & Drink Hamper and 27 other cash prizes. . The
AFTER racing out of the blocks with possibly the fastest try of the season, Bolton RUFC outclassed Liverpool Collegiate in a whitewash victory. Centre Will Bate pounced on a loose ball after Bolton’s Alex Waddicar’s high, hanging kick off had been
JACK Cullen tops the bill at tomorrow's big fight night in Bolton looking to put on the performance of his career so far. The Little Lever middleweight fights Nigerian Rasheed Abolaji in a Commonwealth title eliminator. Cullen, aged 25, hopes
PHIL Parkinson insists he does not fear a January fire sale at Wanderers. Reports have suggested some of the Bolton squad have started to look elsewhere following continued money troubles at the club and a delayed November pay-check. Local
WANDERERS have sent a compilation of penalty appeals to the EFL referee’s chief to find out if they really are getting the rub of the green. Phil Parkinson feels his side have been denied a handful of spot-kicks in the last couple of months and
SAMMY Ameobi has had a chance to recharge his batteries – and Phil Parkinson feels Wanderers fans will soon see the difference. After two months out with ankle ligament damage the talismanic front man struggled to recapture his best form during
