THERE was a letter in the Bolton Evening News recently from OA Davies commenting on the "cost saving" that could be made by Bolton Council if it were to get rid of the town centre ambassadors and other "non jobs".

The newspaper carried a reply to that letter from Cllr Silvester and, as a result, I felt that it was appropriate to dedicate this column to my ambassadors and the important duties they carry out in Bolton town centre.

First I would like to point out that the ambassadors are NOT employed by Bolton Council but by the Town Centre Company. Our company is a non profit making, limited by guarantee, company.

Four dedicated ambassadors cover the whole of Bolton Town Centre over a six day period. They are the eyes and ears of the Town Centre Company and also town centre businesses, Bolton Council and other relevant partners. They are there to help members of the public - from giving directions to administering first aid, plus anything else visitors require, in a professional and helpful way.

They feed important information to the council on cleanliness, maintenance or health and safety issues that might affect or injure the public. Included in their duties is working within Bolton Metro's CCTV room which monitors the town centre. They all carry radios linked to both the council CCTV room, Greater Manchester Police and more than 100 businesses and are trained to monitor and report on many issues, including shoplifters, illegal street traders and anyone causing a nuisance. They also report on fly posting and graffiti.

The ambassadors also issue fixed penalty notices to people who drop litter and have been instrumental in working with partners in re-homing genuine town centre beggars.

Whenever we host an event in the town centre, such as the Continental Markets, they are there making sure the event runs smoothly. Three part-time evening ambassadors work from 8pm-3am Thursday to Saturday, jointly with the council, Greater Manchester Police and licensees to ensure the safety of the public. It is difficult to list all the areas that they are responsible for in such a short column but I would like to add that I am very proud of the ambassadors, who carry out a valuable and unique role which helps to make visitors to our town centre feel welcome and remain safe.

Cathy Savage

Bolton Town Centre Ltd

Market Hall

Knowsley Street

Bolton

Tel 01204 523762