Westhoughton Council is offering a reward in a bid to catch the firebugs who wrecked the town's Christmas crib last month.

A wooden crib made by pupils at Westhoughton High School and figures including the Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph were destroyed in a blaze at the annual display in the Memorial Gardens off Market Street.

But at a meeting of Westhoughton planning, finance and general purposes committee last night councillors vowed that the thugs will not win and have decided to put a more permanent structure in place to house the crib in time for next Christmas.

Scum

"It was, to say the least, a very sad situation when the scum we have got in Westhoughton decided to burn down the crib," said Cllr David Wilkinson

Councillors voted unanimously to build a brick stable in which to display the nativity scene in the gardens which can be locked at night and at other times of year can be used as a town notice board.

They are to approach Bolton Council's leisure services department about the scheme and to seek planning permission for the new structure.

Cllr Linda Thomas added that next year the area will be more secure with the introduction of CCTV cameras into the area, offering more protection to the festive scene.

However, councillors were divided about whether to offer a £100 reward for information leading to the conviction of arsonists responsible for the destruction of the figures, which were worth about £1,000 and were not insured.

Some members felt it was wrong to offer money to someone who was perhaps at the scene when the fire was started and could be a friend of the perpetrator.

But councillors narrowly voted to put up the cash and anyone with information about the crime and who is interested in the reward should contact police.

The council is also planning to write to local police chiefs expressing concern about under age drinking in the town's pubs and to ask for more regular visits by officers to licensed premises in a bid to catch more youngsters downing alcohol illegally. We certainly have quite a little crime spree taking place in Westhoughton at this time," commented Cllr Wilkinson.

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