CONTROVERSY has broken out over plans to put up pieces of art -- including one of a large screw -- on Bolton buildings.

The artwork is intended to symbolise Bolton's history of trade and industry.

It will form an "art trail" being planned to give people a reason to wander beyond Bolton's main shopping area.

Large ceramic designs -- including the screw, a needle and thread and a series of typewriter keys -- will be attached to a number of buildings around Mawdesley Street if the scheme gets the go-ahead.

But Brian Tetlow, chairman of the Bolton and District Civic Trust, said: "I find a scheme such as this to be inappropriate, especially as many of these buildings are listed.

"For me, it is similar to the brainwaves of 15 to 20 years ago when people put artwork on to bridges that were already well designed and architecturally grand."

The modern art aims to highlight an area which was once filled with manufacturing firms, but is now a district largely occupied by offices.

Artists Lesley Fallais and Les Biggs have been commissioned by Bolton Council and Bolton Community Homes to create the artwork.

One of their pieces -- a ceramic, hand-made frame with a tiled insert in the design of a screw -- would be placed on 30 Mawdsley Street.

Another, a frame with a tiled insert of a row of books, could be placed on No 20.

There would be seven artwork sites, with a further 26 buildings carrying one of 26 typewriter keys.

The trail would be featured in a leaflet to be made available at the Tourist Information Centre.

Julian Rothwell, manager of urban regeneration with the council, said: "It is hoped the artwork will encourage more people to walk through the area and provide a bit of interest. The typewriter keys will be put in obscure places so children can have a bit of an adventure trying to find them all."

A decision on whether the scheme will go ahead will be made at a planning and highways committee.

A spokesman for the council said the go-ahead was likely to be given only if English Heritage gave its formal support.

English Heritage would be looking for evidence that attaching the artwork to listed buildings would not damage their structure. The organisation has been consulted and council chiefs are waiting for a response.

What do you think? Are the artwork plans a good idea or do you agree with the Civic Trust? Write to Letters to the Editor, Bolton Evening News, Newspaper House, Churchgate, Bolton, BL1 1DE, or you can send an e-mail to: letters@boltoneveningnews.co.uk.