A WAR has broken out over the provision of a skatepark for Bolton's teenagers after Tory leaders announced their own plans for a town centre venue.

Conservative councillors believe the amount the town's Labour rulers have pledged to spend on a skatepark should be more than tripled, from £75,000 to £250,000.

Bolton Council bosses have earmarked a site in the town centre and have set aside the £75,000 from next year's budget.

But the Tories have hit back with plans to turn part of Queen's Park, near the town centre, into a managed skatepark.

The Conservatives claim their scheme is superior because it would be a much bigger venue and would be managed by the Lads and Girls Club.

Cllr Stuart Lever said: "The plan Labour has put forward has not been thought through.

"They don't know any of the details. We have been working on this and consulting with Bolton Lads and Girls Club for some time and have a well thought-out plan.

"The area is the size of half a full-size football pitch and it is hidden from the main road. If a site is unsupervised, it will be used by anti-social youths, who will vandalise and set fire to it."

Labour announced its proposals last week, but refused to name the three sites being considered by its councillors.

Cllr Cliff Morris, Bolton's Labour leader, said: "We are looking at three possible sites, and also the Queen's Park idea. A site on Black Horse Street is also one of them.

"We have been talking to the young people because it is important they get a say in it. They are excited about the proposals. Specialist engineers are visiting the sites today to see if they are suitable before we make a decision."

Jerry Glover, chief executive of Bolton Lads and Girls Club, said: "We put forward the idea of Queen's Park as an option, but it is fine if Bolton Council want to build it somewhere else.

"At the end of the day, it is about the young people getting a good skatepark.

"I think it is important that it is supervised because there is less chance of it being taken over by the wrong elements."

Joe Cowie, aged 15, launched a campaign for a skatepark, backed by The Bolton News.

He said: "I think a supervised skatepark would be good, because that is why Bones, where we used to go, closed.

"There was hassle from other people using it for dodgy things. I would be willing to pay a small amount for a safe environment to skate in."