THESE incredible aerial photos show the true scale of Bolton’s beautiful wildlife.

Bolton North East Wildlife Trail (NEWT) members captured the images after hiring a light aircraft to fly over the borough, going from the Moses Gate Country Park up to Winter Hill.

Chris Banks, who took the photos, says that — despite being very familiar with the area — he was taken aback by the vast greenery Bolton has to offer.

Mr Banks said: “The idea was to show off the wildlife trail that runs through Bolton.

“I feel like we have a really good grasp of what is in that area, more than most people, because we spent so much time there.

“But the really eye-opening thing for me was how vast the green belt here really is.

“There is a lot of talk about people worrying about new housing developments being built near to their own homes, but the really important green land is in places like this.

“These are the areas that people should be up in arms about and trying to protect from any kind of development.”

Bolton NEWT will now be sharing the stunning pictures across social media in a bid to spread the word about the wildlife corridor along Bradshaw Brook, the River Tonge and the River Croal.

The images also showcase well-known landmarks including the pigeon tower at Rivington and St James’ Church.

Mr Banks added: “We wanted to fly over places that we knew people would recognise, so that when they look at the photos they can really appreciate what they show.

“You can spend your whole life going to these places, but then you see them from 500 feet up and it is a completely different experience.

“Without seeing them from this view, you can’t imagine how vast the green spaces are.

“Our group is all about showing off the brilliant wildlife we have in Bolton and this was a fantastic opportunity to do just that.”