THE finishing touches are being made to two major new pieces of art in Bolton town centre.

Ceramic bookcases are being installed in Newport Street and Mawdsley Street as part of a series of sculptures representing 200 years of industry in Bolton.

The first has been fixed to the first floor of the Nationwide Building Society, in Newport Street, celebrating the buildings former use as Bolton's library.

A number of items have already been installed in and around Mawdsley Street, including a series of typewriter keys representing an earlier Bolton Evening News office which was based nearby in Mealhouse Lane.

The artists behind the scheme are planning to introduce the other sculptures on a piece-by-piece basis, encouraging people to try and spot them as they appear in the streets.

At eight feet by five feet, the bookcases will be the largest pieces to have appeared so far.

Other items due to appear around the southern part of the town centre include a screw and needle and thread representing the industries that used to be based in the area.

The sculptures are intended to form an art trail to entertain children and teach them about the history of the area.

Bolton Council leader Cllr Barbara Ronson said: "This artwork is all about making the town distinctive and linking modern Bolton with what went before.

"It will hopefully capture the imagination of people and point to what went before them."

A spokesman for Bolton Council said the works had been due to be installed two years ago but had been delayed.

He said: "It has taken time to overcome some of the technical difficulties involved and to get the agreement of the owners of the buildings and to sign maintenance contracts."