LEADING conservationist Dr David Bellamy has praised the efforts of local campaigners who battled to save Red Moss from being turned into a supertip.

Dr Bellamy, who is President of the Wildlife Trusts, visited the ancient peat bog at Horwich yesterday, as part of a tour to promote Wildlife Week and to present a conservation award to members of the Red Moss Action Group.

He also presented a "Vision for the Future of Red Moss" to Bolton councillors and officials which calls for Red Moss to become a nature reserve and an educational resource to be used by schools and colleges.

In presenting the award on behalf of Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Dr Bellamy described it as a "very special day" and offered his personal congratulations to the campaigners. Dr Bellamy said: "We now have over 2,000 nature reserves round the country but they actually depend on their existence with local people because it is they who are the eyes and the ears and the spokespeople for the local wildlife."

He was on the third day of his nationwide tour, which included a number of stops in the North-west.

He said that everywhere he has been, he has met local people who are really worried about the future for the children, and they were not just sitting still but doing something about it.

He said over the years the Wildlife Trusts have helped more and more local authorities to help make the right decisions about the future of their local patch. Dr Bellamy, described Red Moss, which is designated an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), as a wonderful great sponge.

"As it starts to grow, not only will it produce new oxygen, because raised bogs are some of the best producers of oxygen we have got in the land, but also help to control the water flow through here.

"You have got problems. You have got a waste tip over there but the effluent from that can be contained and Red Moss can really be a moss again. I hope next time I come here we will be able to see more and more of the bog, it's been hidden away down in some of the old peat cuttings for so many years." Cllr Jack Foster, chairman of Bolton's planning and environment committee, said that it was now the job of planners to study the Trust's document, but gave an assurance that Red Moss was "definitely safe for ever". He said he would like to see it restored to its original beauty.

Cllr Mrs Barbara Ronson, who was a member of the original action committee in 1984 and has always opposed the tip development, said that despite what has been said she is still not happy to say they have a victory.

"There's still an outstanding legal agreement and until that's torn up I don't see that Bolton Council can say it is 100% committed to saving Red Moss."

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