STAFF at Bolton Lads and Girls Club toured their new £4.2 million headquarters for the first time -- and liked what they saw.

Work on the new club in Spa Road, which began a year ago this month, is expected to be completed by next April.

The new state-of-the-art club, part-funded by a Lottery grant and club fund-raising, will feature a sports hall, an outdoor astro-turf pitch, a large computer room and a boxing and dance gym.

Bolton Lads and Girls Club have been based in Bark Street, Bolton, for the past 113 years. But manager Jerry Glover said the new development will set the club up for years to come.

Mr Glover said: "The roof is on and the signs are going up - it looks fantastic. It is enormous, around four times as big as a current centre. The children can't wait."

Bolton Lads and Girls Club offer after-school clubs and a nightly youth centre.