WITH thousands of visitors expected to come to Bolton for the Commonwealth Games, the council has unveiled a new programme of Heritage Tours.

A series of daily walks celebrating Bolton's past and present have been organised to coincide with the Games.

They range from enjoying a pint in the town's oldest pub to climbing the tallest church tower in Lancashire and will hopefully provide an insight into the area and its history.

The first will take place on Sunday, July 21, with a tour around Bolton's oldest building -- the Man and Scythe pub, where you can see the chair that the Earl of Derby famously sat on before his execution.

The Parish Church Tower Tour takes a look at the Victorian Gothic building, which dominates the skyline in Bolton-le-Moors. It features extensive views of the town and surrounding moorland.

An insight into Bolton's characters past and present will be given on the Blue Badge Guide Town Tour, which takes in the town centre and celebrates the lives of the area's most famous residents, including Samuel Crompton, who revolutionised the spinning industry, and the first Lord Leverhulme.

The tours, which are £2 each, will start at 2pm daily from Sunday, July 21, running until Saturday, August 3.

For more details and bookings, call the Ticket and Information Centre at Bolton Town Hall on 01204 334400.