FOUR singers from Bolton helped a top ladies' barbershop group win the European Barbershop Singing Championships in Holland.

Joan Roberts and Janet Riley from Breightmet; Gloria Wayne from Horwich and Frances Morris from Belmont sing with the Cheshire Chord company.

Members of the group were already British champions when they flew to Amsterdam to compete against 20 other choruses for the European title.

And not only did they win, but they gained the highest scores to be awarded to any British chorus.

And there were even more celebrations when both of the competing quartets from the chorus won 1st and 2nd places in the European Quartet Championships.

Joan said: "It's a fantastic achievement.

"We came away laden in gold medals and with a silver trophy the size of the FA Cup! What an unbelievable weekend!" The four Bolton women, like many others in the chorus, are wives and partners of some of the men from Bolton's own Cottontown Chorus.

Cottontown Chorus will be competing for a gold medal at Harrogate next month and Cheshire Chord will be there to entertain them during a Saturday night show.

Cheshire Chord have been invited to sing in Germany in November.