BOLTON'S Mayor helped fly the flag for disabled workers when he took part in a "relay" to mark the launch of the European Year of Disabled People.

Mayors, including Bolton's Cllr John Walsh and the Mayoress and Mrs Christine Walsh, turned out at 12 Remploy factories throughout the north -- Hull, York, Pontefract, Leeds, Huddersfield, Halifax, Oldham, Manchester, Bolton, Wigan, St Helens and Birkenhead.

After the ceremony at the Remploy site in Manchester Road, Bolton, the Mayoral car whisked the Mayor and Mayoress on to Wigan to assist with activities there.

Mr Peter Butterworth, Manager at Remploy in Bolton, said today: "We wanted to let the community of Bolton know about the European Year of Disabled People and thought the best way of doing this would be to raise a commemorative flag.

"However, this is only a symbol and I invite employers and other organisations throughdout the region to contact Remploy and explore ways in which they can improve the lives of disabled people throughout the region."

Mr Butterworth can be contacted on 01204 525305. Remploy was founded in 1945 and remains the UK's largest employer of disabled people.

It has 6,000 employees in its own factories and another 4,400 working for other employers.

The Bolton factory, which has converted from textiles to electronics assembly, now employs about 60 disabled people.

They work on the assembly of components for fire alarm systems, audio separates, currency validation equipment and petrol station control panels.

Celebrity steeplejack Fred Dibnah is due there on January 29 to open a learning centre on the site which will be run in association with Bolton Community College on Manchester Road.

The European Year of Disabled People aims to bring equal rights for people with disabilities to the top of the agenda.

It highlights the barriers and discrimination which still exist for the one in 10 Europeans who have a disability.

Campaigns throughout the year will include "Donate a Day" to help community projects and a challenge to businesses to double the employment opportunities for those with disabilities.