A BUSINESSMAN who has staged exhibitions at Bolton sports centre for 20 years used its final day yesterday to make a furious attack on the council. Alan Whitehead, organiser of the town's traditional flea market and classic bikes show, accused the council of betraying local people by closing the Silverwell Street centre. The council is developing a new £2 million sports and exhibition facility at Bolton College in Manchester Road.

But Mr Whitehead alleged that the scheme had run into problems, leaving operators like himself high and dry.

"The last day was very, very sad for me as well as thousands of other Boltonians," said Mr Whitehead.

"You wouldn't believe how many people have told me how sorry and angry they were.

"The council is having problems with the college project because building costs have escalated, and they are being sparing with the truth.

"The people of Bolton are not being painted a fair picture and in the meantime we are being deprived of a facility."

Mr Whitehead said his classic bike show would move to Ellesmere Port, while the flea market would be temporarily relocated to Horwich.

Other exhibition organisers, such as the CAMRA beer festival and dog shows, were also having to go elsewhere.

"All the exhibition users were promised by the council that there would be no lack of continuity between Silverwell Street closing and the new centre opening. We have been betrayed," said Mr Whitehead.

"It's a loss to Bolton's prosperity generally. People come from all over the country. They fill local hotels and guest houses and spend their money in local shops and eating places."

Mr Whitehead branded the college project an "unholy marriage", claiming that the needs of students and those of exhibition organisers and sports clubs would not dovetail as the council planned.

"It will be unworkable. Students will use the new centre for sport during the day and this will create problems for those office workers who are able to reach that end of town."

More than 2,000 enthusiasts from as far as Scotland and Ireland were attracted to the Northern Classic Bike Show at the Silverwell Street centre on Saturday and Sunday.

The show, now in its ninth year, boasted 21 club stands, 110 display motorcyles, and 160 auto-jumble stalls. The best in show award went to a 1936 Rudge Ulster motorcycle owned by Dave Spary, while the oldest machine on display was Brian Moorcroft's 1912 Triumph.

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