BOLTON Wanderers, the BEN and Horwich firefighters have joined forces to help raise cash for families of the hundreds of American firemen killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The BEN, with the backing of Reebok Stadium players, launched a phone-line auction where readers could bid for shirts signed by Dean Holdsworth, Gudni Bergsson, Michael Ricketts and Colin Hendry.

The money raised in the auction -- and from the continual fund raising efforts of Horwich firefighters -- will be donated to the Greater Manchester County Fire Service appeal.

Striker Dean Holdsworth said: "The firefighters who lost their lives were true heroes and we felt that we should do all we could to help their families."

The fund raising effort was one of a host of events held across Bolton.

Bolton Central firefighters raised hundreds of pounds for the campaign in a sponsored climb using exercise machines.

And motorists donated cash to Horwich firefighters who washed cars for the weekend.