CAMPAIGNERS could not bare the thought of houses being built on green belt land – so they stripped off in protest.

Some members of Hulton Park's HEART group are appearing in a racy calendar to raise cash to support their legal battle.

These include 22-year-old Fiona Partington, of Deardens Farm in Manchester Road, which is threatened by Peel's plans to turn the site into a Ryder Cup golf course and 1,036 homes.

The calendar is being launched at this weekend's Bolton Food and Drink festival at the HEART stall at Victoria Square.

It was made to raise money for the group and to raise awareness of what would be lost at the Grade II-listed estate.

The news comes after the government called in the decision for a public inquiry. Despite Bolton Council's approval for the scheme, the planning application will be determined by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Sandra Hesketh, secretary of HEART, said: "Please support us. We are not just fighting for Hulton Park but for a precedent to save all green belt. This is very rare. This is a major achievement for such a small group of residents.

"Local girls from the farms, who stand to lose their homes, animals and livelihoods if the development goes ahead to devastate a heritage asset and area of biological importance, have volunteered to bare all to raise funds to fight the giant developer, Peel."

The plans were approved by Bolton Council in March but have to be approved by the Government. It also can not go ahead unless Peel wins its bid to host the 2026 Ryder Cup.

A Peel Land and Property spokesman said the company was disappointed and added: "We remain committed to our vision but as we have always said, the delay associated with call-in raises the risk of missing the programme to bid for and deliver the Ryder Cup in 2026. We need to discuss the situation with our partners and work out how we now move forward."

The calendars are available from the stall for £10 or from Facebook HEART Hulton Estate Area Residents Together, email 1304heart@gmail.com Web, www.hearthulton.com, orTwitter heart@hearthulton Instagram hearthulton