Bolton goes back to the dogs

GREYHOUND racing has returned to Bolton after a tenant was found for the the town’s Wigan Road track.

The Bolton and Westhoughton Greyhound Track was left without a tenant after its previous occupier Jason Seddon ceased operations in December last year.

The small independent track has a capacity of a few hundred spectators, and had undergone a reported £30,000 of improvements before its closure.

However, it has now been bought back by Kevin Brown, a local businessman with a background in the sport. He has taken on the lease from owner Ian Holden and has been granted the necessary gambling and liquor licenses to allow him to reopen the track.

Mr Brown, also a past owner of Ashcroft Travel in Widnes, believes he can make a success of the track and bring the sport back to the area.

He said: “The sport is the most important thing, and I am confident we can bring greyhound racing back to the Bolton area.

“It has built up a great following over the past few years, and I know there were plenty of people waiting for racing to start again.”

Legal advice for the licensing applications wasprovided by Napthens’ head of licensing, Malcolm Ireland.

He said: “Kevin has worked hard to return the track to operation and he is very passionate about the sport. There was a real desire in the area to see racing return to the track, and I’m delighted we have been able to secure the necessary licenses.”