BOLTON-based EEF Lancashire is involved in merger talks -- and local officials are set to move out of town.

The organisation, which started life in 1887 as the Bolton and District Engineering Employers' Association, has 285 members throughout an area which includes Bolton, Bury, Leigh, Preston, the Fylde coast and Lancaster.

It is considering joining forces with EEF North West, a 450-strong sister body which has its headquarters in Glazebrook, Warrington, and another office on the Wirral.

At present, EEF Lancashire operates from Heritage House in Chorley New Road, Bolton, and premises in Preston.

It represents the interests of member companies which employ more than 15,000 workers.

But the Bolton building is up for sale and the operation is set to transfer to Glazebrook at the turn of the year.

The EEF nationally looks after nearly 6,000 engineering, manufacturing and technology-based companies of all sizes.

Andrew Semple, spokesman for the EEF in the North-west, said today that the two regional organisations had been working together increasingly closely in recent years.

He went on: "EEF is a unique organisation and there are a great many opportunities for us to increase the impact of our lobbying programme and to add value and enhance our range of business services within the North-west.

"A merger of the two associations would build on our existing links and would allow us to concentrate our joint resources and expertise more effectively to develop the range of business services we offer."

He added: "Our strength is the very close links that EEF has to its members and we will be working with them to establish how we might use a merger to better meet the demands of their businesses."

Any merger will be subject to the approval of EEF members in a ballot and the consent of the Government's Certification Office.

EEF Lancashire currently has a combined staff of 15 in the Bolton and Preston offices, most of them at Bolton.

David Gavan, director and chief executive, said today that the merger would create a stronger team more able to represent the interests of its members and provide a powerful voice when dealing with organisations such as the North West Development Agency.

"We believe that the membership will look at this positively," Mr Gavan said.