About 25 youngsters skated into the building after making a failed attempt to lobby the mayor, Cllr Cliff Morris, in Victoria Square.

They approached Cllr Morris while he was watching a Bolton Festival act.

But dissatisfied with his answer, they decided to follow him into the town hall. And once they arrived in the lobby area, they sat on their skateboards while one of the group, 14-year-old Francesca Visavadin, went upstairs to demand a proper meeting.

The skaters want a free town centre skating facility. They have been congregating in Victoria Square, Exchange Street and Nelson Square over the school summer holidays much to the annoyance of shoppers.

The boarders say they are doing no harm but admit they would be better off skating elsewhere. Chris Priest, aged 18, from Bolton, said: "We are campaigning for a skate park in the town and we're trying to lobby councillors.

"We would rather not be in Victoria Square but there's nowhere decent and safe for us to go without spending a fortune."

The skaters were told the mayor had left the building and after a 10 minute protest, the boarders, many of them dressed in black, left and resumed skating around Victoria Square.

They also began gathering names for a petition.

Damon Hitchens, aged 17, from Halliwell, said: "We try to be careful when we skate in the town centre because we're always mindful that there are elderly people and children about.

"It would be far safer to create a skate park for us."

Miss Visavadin said: "The council keeps telling us it would cost too much money for a skateboard park. We are getting nowhere. The council looks like it will make £2 million for the sale of the Water Place site -- why can't it use that money?"

The mayor said later: "I told them that I would pass on their concerns. There are problems with skateboarders in the town centre but I'm told the council is looking at making provisions for them in one of the parks."

Over the past month, concern has been raised over the boarders using Victoria Square as a makeshift skate park.

Bolton's Labour leader, Cllr Bob Howarth, said the town hall's stonework was being damaged and bosses from the council and the town centre are holding discussions about how to deal with the teenagers.

Town centre manager Cathy Savage said: "Damage is being done to the town hall and skating in the town centre is dangerous for both shoppers and the skateboarders."

FACTFILE

The first type of skateboards were more like scooters. Dating back to the early 1900s they featured roller skate wheels attached to a two by four piece of wood with handles at the front.

Over the next five decades the handles became less commonplace.

In 1959 in America, pavement skateboarding began to take off.

In 1963, Makaha designed the first professional board and the first skateboard contest was held later that year in California.

The influence spread to Britain.

In the 1980s launch ramps became popular and skate parks were built.

In the early 1990s, a worldwide recession affected the skateboard industry, picking up around 1996, leading to the current craze.