The Bolton Evening News is backing the town’s bid to become a city.

Council leaders are currently putting the finishing touches to the bid to boost Bolton’s status from one of the country’s biggest towns to a city. They are hoping it will be third time lucky after two previous bids failed.

Although gaining city status is unlikely to bring direct financial benefits to the area, town hall bosses believe it will boost civic pride and increase the borough’s attractiveness to business which may be thinking of relocating.

The Evening News believes Bolton meets the main criteria agreed by the Queen, which says any town must have “notable features including regional or national signficance”, “historical features,” and a “forward-looking attitude”.

In its comment piece the paper said: “Bolton is a proud town and it can become a great city.

“Some local residents may feel that the borough is wasting its time, and money, to try to get this elevated status for the town. But the Evening News still believes that not only is this worth fighting for, but that we could easily be successful in this bid.

“We have a town centre of which we can be proud, industry and commerce that provides the financial backbone, first-class shopping facilities and a Premiership football team to confound the critics.

“We already have plenty of civic pride, now we just need the status to confirm it further.

“City status would aid the town in every way, to give it the kind of profile it has long deserved.”