IT would appear that Bolton's leisure centres are going to be put into the hands of a private company early next year.

We are told the private sector offers the only chance left for the leisure facilities in the town as the local authority struggles to cope with the financial demands to maintain them.

It always makes me sad to see the ever diminishing number of truly public facilities, while the ones which remain are allowed to crumble and decay.

This is coupled with the ever increasing number of private health and leisure centres.

It is disappointing to think that not so long ago public swimming pools and leisure facilities were a thing we all took for granted. As a child regular visits to the swimming pool would be commonplace and, during a bored moment, my brother and I would automatically take ourselves off to play tennis. Badminton courts were fiercely fought after, while sports halls would struggle to find time to fit in bookings for five-a-side football. All this goes to show just how popular public leisure facilities were -- and not so long ago. Perhaps young people are not quite so keen to leave their computer or television screens these days, or maybe the poor state in which many of the public facilities have been allowed to fall into have put them off. But for whatever reason these public facilities are now in decline.

Our culture now sees children happy to remain indoors slumped in a chair watching the television, while it is fashionable for those aged 20 plus to work out in trendy, expensive clubs.

Hopefully, the private sector will come to the rescue of Bolton's leisure centres. But let's hope this will not be at the expense of the young and old.

These centres must continue to embrace the community.