TODDLERS on a new estate are being put in danger by a developer's refusal to talk to the council, a Bolton councillor claims.

Now, town hall lawyers have been asked to start legal action against the company.

Cllr Tom Anderton fears a child could fall down an open 6ft drop to the street below.

And he claims W&C Hill Construction of Rochdale - who built the small development next to the Willows estate - have not fenced off the steep banking as agreed.

Planning permission for the development on Maybreck Close, Deane was approved on condition the builders did not move residents in until a fencing or walling scheme approved by the council had been erected.

Earlier this year Cllr Anderton, following up complaints, discovered people were already living in the new houses but a scheme had not been submitted to the town hall for approval.

Wooden panels had been erected but some had already been torn or fallen down and planners say if they had been consulted they would have insisted on a different type of fencing.

This week, after the construction company failed to reply to repeated letters and phone calls and ignored a seven day deadline to contact planning officials, town hall lawyers were told to start legal proceedings.

Angry Cllr Anderton said: "In my opinion that drop is dangerous for children in the area and anyone else walking nearby.

"One slip and they could be really hurt. I believe we need tighter planning laws to deal with this sort of thing.

"What is the point of planning conditions if we are forced to go through all this every time a developer ignores the conditions and refuses to talk to us."

A receptionist at the company said Managing Director Warren Hill and his wife, who run W&C Hill Construction between them, were on holiday at present and no-one else from the company could comment on the allegations.

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