A sinkhole in Kearsley has now been fixed and sealed after a month of being closed due to safety reasons.

Work has been underway throughout this month to fix a sinkhole which was discovered on the Brook Street Ball Park off Stoneclough Road.

Cllr Tracey Wilkinson and residents in the area say they reported the sinkhole to the council on March 22 and on March 23 and after investigative works, the hole has now been filled.

To prevent residents from being hurt the council put up fencing around the sinkhole itself and the ball court was locked – but good news for residents, it is now back open.

Read more of our top stories here:

The Bolton News: The sinkhole when it was first discoveredThe sinkhole when it was first discovered (Image: June Clarke)Teams investigated the cause of the hole, with Cllr Tracey Wilkinson saying they believed it was caused by ‘underground erosion by the River Irwell’ however Bolton Council have now confirmed ‘it has not been possible to determine the exact cause’.

Bolton Council teams also looked in and around the immediate area conducting a ground penetrating radar scan to check all the areas within the cage and on the outside to see if there were any further voids.

Cllr Wilkinson previously told the Bolton News that the works conducted included capping the ground with large boulders which can't be ebbed away by the river followed by a layer of concrete.

A Bolton Council spokesperson said: “Following the initial notification of the sinkhole we quickly investigated it, securing the area to make it safe.

“It has not been possible to determine the exact cause of the sinkhole and we apologies for any inconvenience caused during this time.

“Our contractor has now filled in the hole and repaired the surface so the ballcourt is now fully open for the public to use.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on X @chloewjourno.