SKATEBOARDERS have collected hundreds of signatures on the streets of Bolton to boost their bid for a skatepark to be built in the town.

Fans of the sport say they have been left with nowhere to go after the privately owned Bones skatepark in Gilnow Lane, Bolton, went bust at the end of last year.

And they claim that if they try to skate in public places, they are moved on or threatened with the police.

The petition was launched by fed-up Joe Cowie, aged 15, of Ripon Avenue, Heaton, and his friends.

They were angered when Bolton Council announced plans to spend £50,000 on railings to keep skateboarders off the Town Hall steps - cash which Joe and his friends say would be better spent on providing a skatepark.

Joe and his friends have now collected more than 500 signatures of support from the public. They plan to hand over their petition to council members later this month.

The council has pledged to look at providing a skatepark.

Joe, a pupil at Thornleigh Salesian College, said: "We used to skate at Bones all the time - people used to come from all over the country to skate there, it was that good.

"Now we mainly skate in Manchester or in the car park at Middlebrook even though we're not really supposed to."

His friend Chrrisian Radataz, aged 15, a pupil at Rivington High School, said : "It's winter, so it gets dark at 3pm and there's just nowhere for us to go.

"We've been out getting signatures and the majority of people have been really positive."

An online petition has also been launched. To support the appeal click < a href="http://petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=3468">HERE.