From the Evening News, May 6, 1992 - BOLTON town hall officials had the perfect answer when a Farnworth man asked why he had not received a polling card.

Shocked Roy Peak was told: "You can't vote -- you're dead."

And they even confirmed it by producing his electoral form, which had the word "deceased" written next to it in red ink.

Roy and his his wife Megan, of Brook Street, had filled in the form as usual at the end of last year. He now wants to know how the word "deceased" came to be added to it.

"Someone is obviously interfering with these forms," said Roy.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

May 6, 1977

COMPLAINTS about Bolton Council's handling of a controversial Sharples housing development have been rejected by the local government watchdog. A six-months long inquiry into the stormy history of 37 acres of farmland between Andrew Lane and Ashworth Lane clears Bolton Planning Department of charges of "maladministration".

PRESIDENT Jimmy Carter, the homely man from the Deep South, received a real Geordie welcome on his whistle-stop four-hour tour of Britain's industrial North-east today. He was making his first overseas visit since becoming President, and Prime Minister Jim Callaghan said the President would see "a real bit of the backbone of Britain".

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

May 7, 1952

SWIMMER Miss Kathleen Mayoh, Middle-st., Farnworth, is training for her second attempt on the Channel in the lodge of a local bleachworks where she is employed. She has been training during the lunch hour, but is to change to evening swimming because, says Miss Mayoh, "the water is much too warm during the day."

Miss Mayoh, who is 20, intends to attempt the Channel again in July. Last year she gave up four miles from shore after swimming for 15 hours 20 minutes. She has swum Morecambe Bay twice and Lake Windermere once.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

May 7, 1902

THE Bolton Corps. of the St John Ambulance Brigade has the distinction of having provided more ambulancemen for service in South Africa than any other centre in the Kingdom, and this fact was commented upon with pride at the distribution of war medals on Saturday. For this interesting ceremony, Col. H. E. Musgrave, VD, granted the use of the Artillery Drill Hall, and here a large number of people assembled to witness the presentations by Lieut. Col. Trimble, VD, Deputy Commissioner commanding the north-western district of the Ambulance Brigade.