BOLTON'S Angling community has come out in force to back the BEN's campaign to fill in disused and dangerous former mill lodges.

The BEN embarked on the campaign following the tragic drowning of eight-year-old Jaffer Javid who fell into Blackshaw Lodge over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Yesterday our campaign received a boost when Bolton North-east MP David Crausby pledged to raise the issue in the House of Commons.

Now the town's many anglers have vowed to back the campaign to the hilt.

Bob Fernhead, secretary of the more than 200-strong Farnworth Anglers Association, which controls six stretches of water, including former lodges, said: "Both the members, and all the fishermen, totally support this campaign and if you have anything you would like us to sign to say so, then we will happily do it."

Mr Fernhead said that his group and their water bailiffs had a constant battle against youngsters playing near to their ponds and also with constant fly-tipping.

"You cannot keep your eye on things 24-hours a day but we do the best we can to ensure the water we fish is clean and safe," he said. "Sometimes we come along and see youngsters throwing rubbish into the ponds and we ask them if they would prefer it if we filled them in so no-one can enjoy them.

"If there are large stretches of water then it would be a shame to fill them in but we would say to the landowners follow our lead or give them over to the anglers and we will look after them."

He added: "Any money we make we put back into re-stocking the waters and improving the banking and fencing."

The BEN's campaign is not targeting well looked after former lodges but the disused and neglected lodges which have become nothing more than watery rubbish tips and potential death-traps.

Pete O'Neil, head bailiff with the Bolton and District Anglers' Association said he had spoken to other bailiffs and they were in complete agreement.

"I have actually been following this up since the BEN launched the campaign and personally I agree that disused lodges should be filled in. The fish should be removed and taken elsewhere, they serve no purpose so they should go."

Mr O'Neil said he and other bailiffs faced the thankless task of clearing youngsters and often their parents, from their waters.

"The big problems is during the summer holidays. Some times we see families in boats with the children in the water. When we point out the danger we are seen as party poopers."

While Ronnie Brabbin, secretary of the 175-strong, Bolton Rivers Angling Association, which fishes Doe Hey Reservoir, Farnworth, agreed.

"It's a good idea but again I would be reluctant to see any stretch of water that could be transformed into an environmental asset," he said. "But people need to be told that if they abuse them then they could lose them.

"Keeping these areas tidy and safer is a big responsibility I think landowners could take a lead from us and other angling groups who do this voluntarily."