BOSSES at Sainsbury's have withdrawn an application to sell alcohol at the petrol station they are opening at the supermarket chain's new Bolton store.

But they have pledged that they are not giving up the fight -- and will come back in the future with a new bid for a licence for the filling station.

Sainsbury's new £12m superstore is due to open on the old Hick Hargreaves engineering site in Trinity Street in Bolton town centre on March 27. The store applied for an alcohol licence to cover not only the supermarket shelves, but also the shop at the petrol station.

But their application ran into police opposition. Yesterday when the matter went before Bolton Licensing Committee, the company withdrew the application for the petrol station licence.

Police licensing officer PC Greg Pickles said: "The Licensing Act 1964 says it is against the law to license a petrol station and although previous applications have been made, all have been successfully opposed or withdrawn."

A spokesman for Sainsbury's, who already have seven licensed petrol stations around the country, said: "We decided to withdraw the application for the petrol station to focus on securing a licence for the main store, but we will be coming back with the application at a later date."

PC Pickles said: "If Sainsbury's come back with this application, we will continue to oppose it.

"They will need to prove that the petrol station's primary purpose is a convenience store."

A provisional licence has been granted for the main supermarket, which is just 200 yards from the present Sainsbury's store in Moor Lane.

The store licence could be made a full one after a site visit by the Licensing Committee.