FAMILIES keen to make use of their lockdown time are giving a boost to Bolton's skip hire businesses.

While the firms have seen a dramatic drop in requests for commercial skips since businesses had to temporarily shut their doors, demand for household skips is booming as homeowners get down to tackling projects such as tidying gardens and clearing out rooms.

"The phones are constantly ringing at the moment. We're getting a lot more people enquiring," said Scott Allen, who runs Farnworth based Taylor Brothers Skip Hire.

"There are a lot of people at home looking to do projects. There is fly-tipping going on so at least these people are doing the right thing.

"It's gardens or DIY mainly or people have just got time to have a clear out."

The situation is the same for Joanne Beddows, from Dixon Skips, based at Gower Street, Farnworth.

"We're very, very busy," said Ms Beddows. "Householders are doing jobs and I think a few have had issues with their bins.

"Easter is the busiest time for skip companies, always has been, but it's just continued since then."

But she fears that, if contractors don't start needing skips within a few weeks, then times will get difficult once the household demand diminishes.

"The bubble will burst eventually," she said.

The skip hire companies have invested in hand santisers, gloves and masks for their drivers and implemented social distancing rules so that no contact is needed with householders when delivering or collecting skips.

Demand for DIY materials is so great that there were queues outside B&Q in Bolton on Wednesday when it opened its doors for the first time since lockdown. There had previously only been online ordering.