BOLTON will be putting on its red noses this Friday for a bit of Comic Relief.

The town will be fundraising once again for Red Nose Day with residents and workers across the borough trying to help underprivileged people in Britain and overseas.

A host of events are taking place including a pyjama party at the Take A Break Cafe, in Gladstone Road, Farnworth, where staff will dress as baby dolls in frilly knickers.

Staff and children at Moorlands Day nursery, Chorley New Road, Horwich, will be turning up in pyjamas with sponsored singing, bouncy castle, teddy bear's picnic and a sponsored swim.

Staff at Hair Cuttery, in Mawdsley Street, Bolton, will don fancy dress and comedy hairstyles on Friday. And Hair Studios 336, in Bridge Street, Bolton, is having a "red" theme day.

Workers at the Royal Mail Office in Stonehill Road, Farnworth, will wear fancy dress. Many of them will be giving up their time to man telephones into the early hours, taking pledges from the nation.

Last year, their call centre raised more than £300,000.

And celebrities are also getting together to help.

Former Bolton School pupil Sir Ian McKellen, star of Lord of the Rings and X-Men, and Bury-born comedienne Victoria Wood are going nose-to-nose in time for the big day.

Wood has written a special episode of BBC Radio 4 favourite The Archers in which Sir Ian, Liza Tarbuck and Ewan McGregor will star alongside members of the real cast, depending on listeners' votes.