A teenager is among four people who have been arrested after police in Bolton conducted patrols to “deter serious violence from streets” this past weekend.
As part of Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) ongoing ‘Operation Venture’ – which was set up back in 2022 to tackle violent crime and serious criminality across Greater Manchester – officers were deployed to Bolton this past Saturday (29 April), and spotted a “suspicious car” parked up on Chorley Road while they were doing their rounds.
According to GMP, the officers decided to act on their suspicions and initially approached to search the car and the occupants under the misuse of drugs act, before further searches led to the seizure of “a significant amount” of snap bags containing what is believed to be cocaine and around £1,000 in cash.
On top of this, another vehicle was stopped a short time later on Victory Street in a different area of Bolton, and following searches, three sealed packages were found in the boot.
The sealed packages were believed to be of class A drugs around 10 kilos in weight, according to GMP – with an estimated street value of £1 million pounds.
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After the day of targeted searches, in the end, four men Four men between the ages of 16 and 49 were arrested on suspicion of Possession with Intent to Supply, GMP has confirmed, and they were each taken into custody ahead of being questioned by officers.
Speaking on the success of Operation Venture in Bolton so far, Chief Inspector Justine Topping from GMP’s Bolton District said: “Having additional resources available to deploy through Operation Venture means that we can tackle serious crimes robustly to make Bolton a safer place to live and work.
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“The action highlights our endeavour to take illegal supply from our streets.
“Officers from Operation Venture are out and about every night working hard and patrolling hotspot areas to keep communities across Greater Manchester safe, so if you see our officers out and about, you can speak to them about any concerns you might have.
“We all have a part to play in fighting, preventing and reducing crime.”
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Victory Street in Bolton / Credit: Google Maps
Greater Manchester Police is also encouraging anyone with any information about crime in their area to report it, no matter how big or small.
This can be done through GMP’s LiveChat facility at gmp.police.uk, or alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, while 11-17 year olds can pass on information anonymously through the dedicated platform Fearless.org.
“In an emergency, always dial 999,” GMP concludes.
Featured Image – GMP
Bolton
Watch the heart-warming moment rescue cats and dogs are gifted cosy beds ahead of Bonfire Night
Daisy Jackson
Bonfire Night can be a cause for celebration – unless, that is, you’re a cat or a dog.
Fireworks are an unpopular subject among pet owners and can be a living nightmare for cats and dogs.
And that’s why Online Home Shop (OHS) decided to donate cosy beds to all the cats and dogs at Bolton Destitute Animal Shelter.
The popular online retailer took us along to meet some of the animals currently under the care of the shelter and waiting for their forever homes.
The rescue charity is dedicated to caring for the lost, stray and abandoned dogs and cats around Bolton, successfully rehoming around 450 animals a year.
Those staying here at the moment include French bulldog Betty, playful Staffie-cross Nala, and adorable doodle and spaniel duo Rocco and Ralph.
And that’s just the dogs – we also met the toothless gentleman Dodger, mischievous kitten trio Knox Lumos and Fawkes, and two-week-old siblings Lux and Faith.
Then upstairs in the mum and baby room, OHS handed a soft pet bed to Elvira and the tiny fluffball that is Ghost, her kitten.
All of them have ended up here because of situations totally out of their control, whether that’s the death of their owners or a change in circumstance.
Watch rescue cats and dogs being gifted presents for Bonfire Night:
‘Northern Lights’ to be visible in Bolton as popular FREE light art festival returns next month
Emily Sergeant
Bolton’s festival full of fantastic immersive light art installations is set to shine on the town centre next month.
Back by popular demand after proving to be such a success during its inaugural year in 2023, with the first-of-its-kind event attracting more than 50,000 visitors, Put Big Light On Festival is returning for another year of festive magic, and there’s some huge and impressive art installations set to descend on the Greater Manchester town’s centre.
Curated by artistic events company, Things That Go On Things, the festival will take place right across Bolton in late November.
This year’s lineup will feature magical creations from a diverse range of artists.
A free festival of immersive light installations will shine on Bolton again next month / Credit: Bolton Council
Returning in 2025 for what’s said to be ‘the final time’, Dan Acher’s fan-favourite Borealis will illuminate Victoria Square by recreating one of planet Earth’s most incredible natural phenomena, the Northern Lights, in the most immersive way possible.
As beams of light travel through particle clouds, visitors can look up to see the show above their heads, and as the particle clouds are moved by wind, over which there is no control, this means they’ll never see the same pattern twice.
Other installations this year include Mars by the critically-acclaimed artist Luke Jerram, which is a six-metre diameter sculpture featuring high-resolution NASA imagery of the Martian surface, and Submergence by Squidsoup – a walkthrough experience with thousands of suspended lights creating an immersive sense of movement.
Wave by Are You Playing Out, The Garden by Ant Dickinson, Celestial Carousel by Eye of Newt, and Beacon of Hope by Craig Morrison are a handful of the other installations.
As well as the festival itself, there will also be plenty of vibrant street entertainment over the four-day event too, and residents can expect lots of family activities in the run-up to the festive season.
“Put Big Light On is more than just a festival, it’s a celebration of Bolton’s creativity, resilience, and community spirit,” commented Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Culture, Cllr Nadeem Ayub.
“We’re proud to welcome world-class artists and local talent to light up our town and bring people together in a truly magical way.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd May 2023 
