THE leader of the Law Society which represents 100,000 solicitors in England and Wales has paid a glowing tribute to his home town of Bolton.

Ed Nally was speaking before an invited audience at the Last Drop Village at a dinner to celebrate his election as President of The Law Society. The dinner was hosted by Fieldings Porter, the Silverwell Street law firm where Mr Nally is a partner and was attended by business leaders, clients and friends.

Mr Nally said his new role involved a great deal of public speaking, but, he said: "Tonight is so special because it gives me an opportunity to say thank you to various people who have worked with me or supported me throughout my professional life."

He continued: "I am proud to have achieved an exceptional honour, but I do not underestimate the fact that without my strong roots in the North-west and in Bolton in particular, I would not have achieved the success that I perhaps have today. Whilst I am in office, I hope to assist in the development of the Solicitors profession during a time which is both challenging and exciting, but I will never forget Bolton."

Much of Mr Nally's time is spent in London, but he pointed out that Bolton is never far from his thoughts.

"There are various little reminders of Bolton dotted around my splendid office in London. It is very difficult not to get homesick, when I look across the office and see the Reebok Stadium at one end of the room and classic views of Bolton at the other!"

Since Mr Nally was elected in July, he has already travelled professionally across America and Canada. He has met with many senior politicians and senior members of the judiciary.

A conference at The Law Society's National Conference is to be held in Birmingham later this month and he will deliver the keynote address, setting out a vision and a challenge for the Solicitors profession for the next year and beyond. It is likely that there will be powerful messages to Government about the protection of the rights of citizens and in particular, the need for the maintenance of a properly funded and sustainable Legal Aid system.

Mr Nally said: "The job of a solicitor first and foremost is to protect the rights of the average citizen. We deal with people all the time when they are often in very stressful situations - in trouble with the police, moving house, dealing with the grief of the loss of a loved one or relative, recovering from the trauma of being the victims of an accident, or pursuing the interest of their clients fearlessly in their business life.

"Whilst I am President of The Law Society, I will have a unique opportunity to press home this message loud and clear on behalf of the solicitors' profession and on behalf of the general public whom we serve."