HONESTY is the best policy as far as one Bolton town centre shop is concerned with the introduction of a new pay and go service.

Thanks to WH Smith, Victoria Square, you can get to all the headline news in the BEN without having to queue courtesy of their "honesty box" system.

The initiative has been tried at other Smith's branches across the country but has come to Bolton for the first time.

Store manager Chris Price explained: "We have put the box at the front of the store and now anyone wishing to buy a newspaper can just pick up the one they want and put the money in the box without having to go to the counter."

Mr Price said the box was aimed at busy Boltonians who wanted to buy a paper without eating into their lunchbreaks.

"You can still pay for a paper in the traditional way but for those who have the right change and don't want to queue it is ideal," said Mr Price. "It will be ideal on a Saturday for example, which is one of our busiest newspaper days."

He added: "It has only been going for a few days and we have had a member of staff standing by the box explaining the system to people but I'm sure it will be a great success."

Mr Price said he had no fears of being short-changed.

"I think people will see it as a convenient service and appreciate it," he said. "I don't think it will be abused."