A SECRET millionaire who grew up in Bolton has returned the North-west — to hand out tens of thousands of pounds.

Hilary Devey lived in Bolton until she was 21, when she left to make her fortune in the haulage industry.

Now she has gone undercover on one of the region’s notorious housing estates for Channel 4’s The Secret Millionaire.

The mother of one, whose business has a turnover of £100 million, also told of her own harrowing story when she spent five years trying to get her son off heroin.

She was asked to take part in the TV series — where wealthy benefactors leave behind their luxury lives and take on secret identities.

They live undercover in deprived areas to find worthy individuals and projects in need of cash.

Divorcee Hilary, who grew up in Tonge Moor, was sent to Rochdale in June, where she worked as a barmaid and volunteered with different organisations.

She donated £170,000 of her own money to three different groups.

Hilary, aged 51, said: “I really wanted to do it in Bolton but they thought people might recognise me, so they sent me to Rochdale instead.

“I was a bit upset it wasn’t my old Bolton but I had a thoroughly enjoyable experience.”