PEACE and quiet has returned to a Bolton street following a night of chaos, which left 40 cars damaged by a raised manhole.

Yesterday the BEN revealed how residents of Viola Street came to the rescue on Tuesday night by standing on nearby A666 Blackburn Road and alerting motorists about the manhole, which was damaging the underside of vehicles.

Viola Street resident Jennifer Brierley said only the prompt actions of the residents prevented a tragedy.

The road is currently undergoing re-surfacing work by Bolton Council and on Tuesday workmen removed a layer of tarmac from the road, exposing the manhole.

Council engineers were out first thing yesterday, investigating the problem and pledging action to prevent further damage.

They have now blocked off the area around the manhole to prevent motorists from driving over it.

Mrs Brierley told the BEN this morning: "Thankfully it was all quiet last night."

"Council staff were here first thing in the morning, looking into the problem, and sealed off the manhole. We all had a peaceful night."