A PENSIONER who has lived in Horwich all her life was chosen to officially reopen a community park.

Freda Egan, aged 80, cut the ribbon to mark an end to a refurbishment scheme at Bradley Community Park.

Mrs Egan, who has lived on the doorstep of the park throughout her life, praised the work carried out by council workmen at a special ceremony attended by civic leaders from Bolton and Horwich and local residents and their children.

The park, off Ainsworth Road in Horwich, has been completely refurbished and now sports new play equipment and a bench.

Residents are so pleased with the council's handywork that they organised a day of celebrations for the opening.

Part of those celebrations involved asking Mrs Egan, as the area's oldest relative, to officially open the park.

Her daughter Olive said that her mother had been very pleased to have chosen to open the park and had been looking forward to the day.

But the excitement proved too much for Mrs Egan, who, after the opening, collapsed as she queued for an ice-cream.

The pensioner told her daughter " I feel dizzy" before collapsing. She was taken to hospital accompanied by her daughter and but later returned home after treatment.