FLOWERS, photographs and teddy bears formed part of a symbolic protest as they were laid against the railings at Bolton Town Hall.

Bereaved families staged an emotional march through Bolton town centre on Saturday to demonstrate at the planned removal of roadside memorials to those who had died.

Many people wore T-shirts bearing photographs of their loved ones and carried flowers to lay in their honour.

Shoppers lined the streets to watch as about 80 people set off from Newport Street at 1pm and walked to Victoria Square.

Once there, they gathered outside Bolton Town Hall, where white ribbons had been tied to railings at the top of the steps where they laid their mementoes and flowers.

Protester Trinity Serkis gave a short speech about the campaign, which opposes a new council policy to remove memorials placed at the scene of road accidents after 30 days.

In their place, a tree at Queens Park will become the centrepiece of a permanent memorial site.

Mrs Serkis said: “I am here on behalf of every bereaved family that has lost a loved one in a violent incident or road traffic accident.

“We are asking the council to review this by-law and realise that it is the roads and the junctions that are dangerous, not the floral tributes.”

The protest ended when the bereaved families stood in unity on the Town Hall steps and observed a two-minute silence.

Among those taking part in the protest was Michaela Bate, whose daughter, Carla, was killed by a drink-driver in Long Causeway, Farnworth, in 2004.

She said: “I am really pleased that there has been so much support from people who want to keep the tributes next to the roads.

“We go to Carla’s memorial to do our grieving. We don’t want to go to Queens Park — I don’t think Carla even knew where it was.”

Doreen Lees, of Westbourne Avenue, Great Lever, was also remembering Carla, who was a friend of her daughter.

Mrs Lees, aged 75, said: “I believe it is important to put flowers at the side of the road. They don’t hurt anyone. The council should let the flowers stay where they are. People have them in other towns, so why can’t we?”

Marie Brown, of Central Avenue, Farnworth, attended the protest in memory of her sister-in-law, Valerie Brown, who died after a hit-and-run in Greenhill Avenue, Farnworth, in 2006.

She said: “I think it is disgusting that the tributes will be removed. Bolton Council has made the wrong decision.”

Organiser Phil MacDougall, of Great Lever, said: “I am a bit disappointed that more people did not come, but we were still able to get our message across to Bolton Council.

“These people have shown that floral tributes should be kept at the roadside. They are a way for families to find some kind of peace and remember the people they have lost.

“The council should be looking at the bigger picture. If it wants to make the roads safer, it should look at dangerous roads and busy junctions, not at roadside memorials.”

A council spokesman said: “We appreciate that many families wish to remember their loved one at the place which they died, but we must balance the needs of the grieving families with the needs of the residents who live around the sites of these tributes.

“We are also aware that the families placing these tributes often put themselves in danger and our responsibility is to prevent any further accidents on the highways.

“We are not saying that families cannot leave tributes where it is safe to do so, but that we will work with family liaison officers from the police to encourage them to remove these tributes after 30 days.”

gclarke@theboltonnews.co.uk