When comedian Peter Kay returned to his home town for a week of sold out dates, the Bolton Evening News was quick to organise ‘Peter Kay Week’ in the newspaper.

Through its close links with the star, who is Bolton born and bred, the paper organised extensive week-long coverage and he, in turn, gave the paper his full support.

The campaign was spearheaded and designed by deputy editor Ian Savage, and every night the newspaper featured a report about the Phoenix Nights star, and offered a signed Phoenix Nights DVD and photograph for readers to win.

On the Monday Ian wrote an exclusive feature article, chronicling Peter’s rise to stardom. The Evening News is the only newspaper he has granted an in-depth interview with this year.

On Tuesday, the paper carried a review of the first night in Bolton of Peter’s ‘My Mum Wants a Bungalow’ show.

On Wednesday Peter rang the paper, furious that a thief had sneaked into his dressing room as he performed in his home town and escaped from the theatre – at Bolton Town Hall – with a digital video camera featuring footage he had planned to use on a live DVD of the tour to be released later in the year.

The story was used as an exclusive front page splash in Thursday’s Bolton Evening News and the story was followed up by the nationals the next day.

On Friday, there was a news story about Peter giving the Bolton Evening News a big plug by highlighting the coverage in his Thursday night show, as well as a free Peter Kay full-colour full-page poster.

And on Saturday, the paper had a story urging Bolton Wanderers bosses to play the Tony Christie hit Amarillo (from the last series of Phoenix Nights) at half time to whip up the fans. Insiders say it must have worked – the Wanderers beat Manchester City 2-0.