TWO Wanderers stars swapped the pitch for the forecourt to officially re-open a town centre car showroom.

Darren Pratley and David Wheater were joined by Lofty the Lion to celebrate the £3 million renovation of the Bristol Street Motors Ford dealership in Higher Bridge Street.

The six-month refurbishment has transformed the site into a larger state-of-the-art dealership, capable of displaying an increased number of vehicles and increased servicing facilities.

Parent company Vertu Motors is also building a new Jaguar-Land Rover dealership on the edge of the town centre, as part of a £12 million investment in the town.

Darren Murray, general manager at Bristol Street Motors Ford Bolton, said: “It was great to have David and Darren at the dealership for our grand opening event.

“They were great with customers and colleagues who wanted photos and Lofty the Lion caused a real stir.

“I’m really pleased with the result of the refurbishment, which has totally transformed the site into the best Ford dealership in the area, this is great for both customers and colleagues.

“The fact that we have invested £3 million in the site demonstrates the confidence Bristol Street Motors has in Bolton and the surrounding areas.”

Bristol Street Motors Ford Bolton is the Wanderers’ official social media match day coverage partner and, as part of the deal, has provided the team with a new Transit to use as a kit van.

Vertu Motors chief executive Robert Forrester told The Bolton News last month that Bolton is ‘a town with a massive future and with a population who will thrive in the years ahead’.

Mr Forrester, whose family is from Bolton, was keen to answer a Guardian article which painted it as a ‘nothing of a town’.

RRG is also building a new Skoda dealership in Clarence Street, opposite Bristol Street Motors, while Audi has taken over the old Bolton Community College site off Manchester Road.