A DISGRUNTLED park-goer has blasted Bolton's success in a top horticultural awards ceremony.

Last Friday the town was named the best large city in the 1999 North West in Bloom competition, the fourth time in six years the honour has been bestowed on Bolton.

But Ernest Cornwell, of Westcourt Road, Great Lever, has slammed the decision, claiming his local park is a disgrace with hardly a flower in sight.

Mr Cornwell, who regularly bowls at the park, says while a few years ago there used to be rose bushes, even those have now disappeared.

He stormed: "No doubt where the flowers are it looks brilliant, but there's hardly a flower in Sunnyside Park.

"It used to be a beautiful place but now it's dirty, there are fences down and I think it's dangerous.

"I've lived all my life in Bolton and I'm glad it won this award but if they brought the people who judged it round here to look at the park they would wonder what had happened." Judges in the North West in Bloom competition are given a three-hour route around competing towns, but the routes are chosen by the various local authorities.

Yesterday a spokesman for the Tidy Britain Group, organisers of the annual contest, revealed that the judging party had not been past Sunnyside Park, off Higher Swan Lane.

She added: "The route takes judges past parks, private houses, council homes and residential homes.

Responsibility

"They have to demonstrate that they have done considerable work in particular areas. It's not just the council's responsibility, it is also local residents'. It's a two-way thing."

And council bosses insist there is an ongoing programme to look at ways the park can be improved for the long term. A meeting is due to be held tonight with local sports clubs about the future of the park. John Shepley, deputy director of leisure services, said: "There's a lot of work needed to be done but with the involvement of the local residents and users of the park we're preparing ideas on how to upgrade the area. That is part of an ongoing commitment from the council towards the park."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.