A POWERFUL new committee responsible for the £22 million annual budget for magistrates courts throughout Greater Manchester does not have a representative from Bolton.

The new nine-member body represents all 11 benches situated in the 10 boroughs in Greater Manchester.

Almost every magistrates' bench in the area is represented except for Bolton.

That means that when Bolton Magistrates Court's planned relocation eventually gets the go-ahead either into a brand new building or next-door into the existing police station there will be no direct representation on the committee from town.

Bolton South East MP Brian Iddon has warned that if the new committee did not represent Bolton's interests properly he would complain directly to Charles Clarke the Home Office Minister responsible for the courts.

Potential candidates were interviewed and then selected to serve on the committee but none of the Bolton magistrates who applied were deemed to have sufficient business experience to take on the demanding role.

The new Greater Manchester Magistrates Courts Committee came into being at the beginning of this month and along with administration and salaries is also responsible for controlling allocated budgets for new court buildings.

The interests of the courts and magistrates in Bolton will be represented by Jill Eastwood who will liaise with the committee regularly and Clerk to the Justices Alex Carlos is confident that the town will not lose out.

The committee is made up of one member each from Oldham, Stockport, Bury, Wigan, Salford, Rochdale, Trafford, and two from Manchester City Magistrates.

James Stevens, Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Bolton West said it was important that the new magistrates courts' committee has proper Bolton representation given that a new building was urgently needed. Complain