A regional daily’s exclusive has sparked a campaign to save under threat children’s centres on its patch.

The Bolton News revealed last month that Bolton Council has put forward plans to cut the number of centres it operates in the borough from 18 to seven in a bid to save almost £1.5m.

Now traders across the town have united to call for the centres to remain open, urging the authority to either use some of £204m of reserves and a £3.7m dividend from Manchester Airport.

The proposed cuts were revealed on the front page of the News on 6 July, pictured below.

Andrea Egan, assistant branch secretary for Bolton Unison, added: “In the current economic climate, where many so families are really struggling, children’s centres offer a practical support and are a real lifeline.

“It would be a devastating blow to lose them.

“Closing the centres would have an immediate knock on effect for health and social services.”

Bolton Council has blamed swingeing government cuts for the proposed closures and argue that the reserves money is for one-off funding.