THE picturesque moors above Bolton are set to be wiped off the tourism map . . . to make way for the new Reebok Stadium.

Council chiefs want to mark the whole Middlebrook development on a brown tourism sign on the northbound approach to junction six of the M61.

The snag is that there are four attractions already on it - the maximum allowed by the Department of Transport.

So a report will go to councillors later today which suggests that the West Pennine Moors direction sign should go.

The others on the sign are Wigan Pier, Haigh Hall and the Last Drop.

The latter is privately funded so the council cannot remove that, the other two are in Wigan and it would not be diplomatic for Bolton to suggest they go.

But Horwich Cllr Bob Ronson hit out: "It seems a shame that the West Pennine Moors should go.

"I know that we do have to make sure that the stadium is signposted.

"The sign is just before the motorway junction and by the time you reach it, it is pretty obvious where it is!"

Any changes in signposting have to be approved by the Highways Agency on behalf of the Department of Transport.

It is also planned that a special logo will be drawn up for the signs, probably based on the letter M and may have the shape of the stadium on it.

If councillors give the go ahead, Department of Transport approval will still be needed.

There will then be a race to have them finished and put up before the first match scheduled at the new statium on September 1.

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