March 2, 1903: FURTHER revelations of unhappiness prevailing in some of Bolton's homes were made at the Borough Court this morning, when, before Aldermen Miles, Nicholson and Hough, Messrs E. Walker, G.H. Crook, and J. Proctor, William Hayden, of 19, Noble-st., was summoned for deserting his wife Mary, in January, 1902.

The parties, it appeared, had been separated, but defendant had gone back to complainant, on condition that he would work and help to keep on the home.

He remained three weeks, complainant stated, and then went away because she would not allow the house to be put in his name. Mr Fielding, for defendant, asked complainant if she would take defendant back again. She said she could not. In answer to Mr Fielding, she said she could not go back to her husband's house without consideration. She was allowed until Thursday week to make up her mind.

March 2, 1953: AT a new Horwich works today, tests are being made on an invention of two Bolton men which may revolutionize one aspect of pit working. They have patented a special concrete light-weight chock to replace the wooden ones which form a packing to hold up the pit roofs.

The National Coal Board has expressed an interest in the enterprise by 29-years-old engineer George Greenhalgh, of Windsor-rd., Bromley Cross, and 50-years-old concrete specialist James McHugh, of Blackburn-rd., Bolton. One of the ingredients of the special light-weight concrete used is quarry waste. Samples have been forwarded to Coal Board technicians, who have expressed satisfaction with it.

March 3, 1978: POLICE were today hunting gangs of armed raiders who swooped on stores in Greater Manchester last night. One gang, with a knife and meat hook, made an attempted robbery on the VG Supermarket in St Helens Road. Peter Openshaw, aged 18, manager of a store in Widnes, was unloading goods from a van when three men bundled him into the storeroom of the supermarket and demanded cash. Co-owner and manager Karl Giles, aged 36, heard the commotion, ran downstairs and came face to face with the knifeman. He said: "I grabbed an empty crate, and ran upstairs to the phone. But I realised I had locked my office door. I shouted for help and threw the crate through the window. I must have scared the gang, because they ran off with nothing."

March 3, 1993: LOCAL MPs today slammed the Government's new get-tough legislation to lock up teenage tearaways. Bolton Tory MP Peter Thurnham welcomed the measures but warned that if the legislation was allowed to grind its way through Parliament, it could be two years before it comes into force. Leigh MP Lawrence Cunlifffe bitterly attacked the Government and said proposals to set up secure schools for hardened teenage criminals did not go far enough.

He said: "The new deterrents are not tough enough. There is a lot of panic, fear and insecurity causes by the high levels of crime. Something needs to be done now, not measures that will take years to come into effect."