A BID to install a new flag for all Bolton to rally around has been blocked by town hall bosses.

Cllr Zoe Kirk-Robinson called for a new civic flag in the hope it would bring people together and and encourage residents to take pride in the borough.

The Conservative councillor for Westhoughton and Chew Moor tabled a motion at the full meeting of Bolton Council on Wednesday night.

But the proposal was voted down by Labour councillors who said the cost of implementing a new standard for the borough could not be justified in testing economic times.

Cllr Sue Haworth said she could not support the motion.

She said: “Finance is very tight at this council. I would have thought that Cllr Walsh would take your flag money and put it towards his list of highways schemes , saving pennies to get pounds and all that ...

“We spend money on community events in parks, on sports, on food events, and on culture. These are events bringing people together in the borough

Cllr Guy Harkin said: “We have enormous problems in this town. To talk about something like this in the midst of financial social and economic problems is risible.”

And Cllr Akhtar Zaman said: “When people are losing their jobs as a result of harsh cuts from the Tory government and you say to people you will give them a flag to promote community cohesion, they will then quite frankly they will tell you where to shove that flag.

“If Cllr Kirk-Robinson really wants to promote community cohesion she should tell her government to end austerity.

Cllr Kirk Robinson said she was ‘sincerely disappointed’ by the Labour group’s response. She said: “The motion was brought in good faith and it would have been great for the town. I’m just appalled that they took the chance to to basically attack the Government, rather than looking at the town itself. I rarely expect support from the Labour Party, I don’t think they have the same level of interest in the town as I do.”

She added that the idea of a new flag could still be realised by other means despite the council vote.