A BUSY ticket and information centre visited by hundreds of people every week has abandoned the sale of poppies to mark Remembrance Day because thieves have repeatedly stolen the collection boxes from the counter.

For the past two years, poppies have not been sold at Bolton Ticket and Information Centre in the town hall, as staff have found it difficult to keep an eye on the charity boxes used to collect donations. During the last 10 years, about six collection boxes for various charities have been stolen from the ticket centre and busy staff have decided not to have them on the counter at all. A spokesman for the Ticket and Information Office said: "It is a very sad state of affairs when you can't even put a charity collection box on the counter without it being stolen. We would really love to sell poppies and help other charities too, but because of the actions of a few individuals, we cannot do so."

Many people have been into the office to enquire about poppies but upset staff members have had to send them elsewhere because of the problem.

Joseph Bailey, secretary of the Royal British Legion, in Kearsley, said: "Poppies are a mark of respect and it is a sign of the times that the money people have paid had been stolen like this."