BOLTON'S first 24-hour homeless shelter, dogged by year-long construction headaches, will finally open its doors in January.

Builders have moved into the derelict Spa Mill premises and organisers are confident it will be up and running by January 5.

The shelter will cater for the town's street workers, homeless, drug addicts and lonely.

Dave Bagley, co-ordinator of Winter Watch, was forced to re-think the ambitious scheme as health and safety officials constantly blocked his moves to re-design the old cotton mill.

But now, almost 12 months since the idea first got off the ground, the shelter is nearly ready, thanks to the sweat and toil by a small band of dedicated campaigners.

The shelter intends to give warmth and comfort to the town's homeless, prostitutes and the lonely, and will also provide health services and advice under one roof.

An army of more than 100 volunteers have stepped forward to help out inside the shelter.

An additional 60 are prepared to cook and carry out domestic chores.

Mr Bagley said: "We have had a brilliant response from volunteers.

"We have no shortage. Everyone has been very supportive, especially schools. Bolton School sent us shoe boxes of Christmas cards to put up on our walls.

"But it is now a very hectic time. It takes lots of organising but, God willing, we will be open on January 5.

"We don't want to duplicate the services already offered by other organisations for the homeless at Christmas. We will start our service when others have finished."

The centre will be open all night Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

It will run alongside the Bolton outreach projects in which teams of volunteers go out on the streets to help the homeless.

Ultimately, the centre is expected to remain open all year providing help and vital food, warmth and company to the town's socially excluded.