TRAVELLERS in Bolton and Manchester are broadly complying with the rules on wearing face coverings on the region's trains.

An operation was conducted on Friday, with British Transport Police combining with Travel Safe officers to monitor the Bolton to Manchester Victoria line.

And the patrols found, as has been mirrored by official statistics, that the vast majority of passengers are wearing masks or another form of face covering

A BTP Manchester spokesman said on Twitter: "This evening officers have been on patrol with Northern's Travel Safe officers. Our focus has been Manchester Victoria and Bolton, ensuring face covering compliance. Great to see the majority of people are complying."

This finding has been echoed recently in a report to the Greater Manchester Public Transport Committee.

Caroline Whittam, Transport of Greater Manchester's head of rail franchising, said: "Face covering compliance has varied between operators and journey type/time, with average reports of between 80 to 85%. This has increased for longer distance operators, at city centre and staffed or gated stations and in the morning peak period.