RESIDENTS along a main Bolton road are campaigning for financial help from City Challenge money to save their homes from crumbling.

Householders on Blackburn Road are furious that grants have side stepped them, even though they claim property along their stretch dates back 100 years.

As a result, residents have formed the Blackburn Road Community Action Team and are pushing for grants to be spent in their direction.

Ishaq Naka, vice chairman of the action group, explained: "We only want what others around us have been given.

"Many of the houses and shops on this road are 100-years-old and it is insulting that we have not been granted a penny from City Challenge.

"We are on a main road and the vibrations of passing traffic have taken their toll on the foundations of the properties either side. "Walls are crumbling, there are problems with damp and foundations are shaky. Money is desperately needed.

Halliwell was given £37.5 million City Challenge money over five years from the Government to re-vitalise rundown areas.

A spokesman for Bolton City Challenge replied: "Bolton City Challenge does have an annual budget to undertake group repairs which are subject to strict Government criteria and we have carried out three successful programmes to date.

"We announced in September that the next phase of activity would be a programme of much needed work to homes in Halliwell Road and Oxford Grove East.

"Unfortunately properties on the Blackburn Road frontage did not meet the criteria for Group repairs and senior housing officers met with residents to discuss this week.

"Halliwell was declared a Housing Renewal Area in 1991 by Bolton Council, which was endorsed by the Secretary of State. City Challenge's repairs policy is therefore in line with that of the council's.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.